Attachment theory

Question 1

Developed attachment theory

Answer 1

John Bowlby

Question 2

The person Bowlby described as a baby’s ‘principle attachment figure’, decided by 1-3 months old

Answer 2

Primary caregiver

Question 3

Idea that a baby or child has a bias towards one caregiver

Answer 3

Monotropy

Question 4

Other attachment figures towards a baby or child who are not the primary caregiver

Answer 4

Subsidiary attachment figures

Question 5

Age at which babies show indiscriminate attachment where they are happy to be handled by strangers

Answer 5

2-6 months

Question 6

Age at which separation anxiety is common

Answer 6

10-18 months

Question 7

The critical period for attachment to develop

Answer 7

6-36 months

Question 8

Experiment which gave baby monkeys the choice between a soft cloth ‘mother’ who provided no food, and a wire ‘mother’ who gave out food.

Answer 8

Harlow’s monkeys

Question 9

Type of ‘mother’ Harlow’s monkeys chose to spend more time with

Answer 9

Cloth mother who gave no food

Question 10

Psychologist who developed the ‘strange situation procedure’ in order to study attachment in babies

Answer 10

Mary Ainsworth

Question 11

Situation 1 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 11

Mother and infant enter the room

Question 12

Situation 2 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 12

A stranger joins

Question 13

Situation 3 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 13

Mother leaves infant with stranger

Question 14

Situation 4 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 14

Mother returns and stranger leaves

Question 15

Situation 5 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 15

Mother leaves infant alone

Question 16

Situation 6 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 16

Stranger returns to infant

Question 17

Situation 7 in the strange situation experiment

Answer 17

Mother returns to infant and stranger leaves

Question 18

Original three types seen in Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 18

Anxious avoidant
Secure
Anxious resistant

Question 19

Percentage of children with secure attachment type

Answer 19

70%

Question 20

Percentage of children with anxious avoidant attachment type

Answer 20

15%

Question 21

Percentage of children with anxious resistant attachment type

Answer 21

15%

Question 22

Behaviour of children with anxious avoidant attachment type

Answer 22

Distressed when alone but not specifically distressed by mother leaving
Mother and stranger can comfort child equally well

Question 23

Behaviour of children with secure attachment type

Answer 23

Plays independently when mother present
Distressed by mother leaving
Comforted by mother but not stranger

Question 24

Behaviour of children with anxious resistant attachment type

Answer 24

Intense distress on mother leaving
Avoids stranger even when mother present
Approaches mother for comfort on return but avoids contact

Question 25

Behaviour of children with anxious resistant attachment type

Answer 25

Intense distress on mother leaving Avoids stranger even when mother present Approaches mother for comfort on return but avoids contact

Question 26

Type of attachment associated with responsive parenting

Answer 26

Secure

Question 27

Type of attachment associated with inconsistent parenting

Answer 27

Anxious resistant

Question 28

Type of attachment associated with unresponsive parenting

Answer 28

Anxious avoidant

Question 29

Fourth type of attachment sometimes described by Ainsworth

Answer 29

Disorganised

Question 30

Can attachment style vary with different caregivers

Answer 30

Yes

Question 31

Devised the adult attachment interview following on from Ainsworth's work

Answer 31

Mary Main

Question 32

Adult attachment style associated with secure child attachment

Answer 32

Autonomous

Question 33

Adult attachment style associated with anxious avoidant child attachment

Answer 33

Dismissing

Question 34

Adult attachment style associated with anxious resistant child attachment

Answer 34

Entangled

Question 35

Adult attachment style associated with disorganised child attachment

Answer 35

Unresolved

Question 36

Term for loss of a loved one as a child due to a period of separation e.g. a hospital admission

Answer 36

Anaclitic depression

Question 37

Rutter's two forms of poor attachment

Answer 37

Deprivation | Privation

Question 38

Type of attachment described by Rutter where attachment is formed but then lost temporarily. Can lead to clingy behaviour, psychosomatic complaints and aggression.

Answer 38

Deprivation

Question 39

Rare form of attachment described by Rutter where attachment never forms. Leads to antisocial behaviour, lack of guilt and attention seeking.

Answer 39

Privation

Question 40

Personality type described by Rutter in cases of privation

Answer 40

Affectionless psychopathy

Question 41

Type of learning seen where a young animal is highly sensitive to a stimulus and it provokes a certain type of behaviour e.g. young goslings following the first moving object they see

Answer 41

Imprinting

Question 42

Four stages of attachment according to Bowlby

Answer 42

Preattachment Attachment in the making Clear cut attachment Formation of reciprocal attachment

Question 43

Age at Bowlby's stage of preattachment

Answer 43

Birth to 6 weeks

Question 44

Age at Bowlby's stage of attachment in the making

Answer 44

6 weeks to 6-8 months

Question 45

Age at Bowlby's stage of clear cut attachment

Answer 45

6-8 months to 18-24 months

Question 46

Age at Bowlby's stage of formation of reciprocal attachment

Answer 46

18 months to 2 years and onwards

Question 47

Stage within Bowlby's stages of attachment where the baby orientates towards the mother, but is comfortable with unfamiliar people

Answer 47

Preattachment

Question 48

Stage within Bowlby's stages of attachment where the baby begins to show different reactions to familiar vs. unfamiliar people, but does not show separation anxiety

Answer 48

Attachment in the making/indiscriminate attachment

Question 49

Stage within Bowlby's stages of attachment where the baby shows distress when separated from the caregiver, and has a preference for selective caregivers

Answer 49

Clear cut attachment

Question 50

Stage within Bowlby's stages of attachment where the child begins to understand their caregiver may leave and return, and separation anxiety lessons. They begin to find other ways to get their needs met by their caregiver e.g. sulking

Answer 50

Formation of reciprocal attachment

Question 51

Look associated with disorganised attachment behaviour

Answer 51

Frozen and dazed

Question 52

Additional fourth attachment type sometimes described in Ainsworth's strange situation

Answer 52

Disorganised

Question 53

Type of attachment sometimes seen in babies whose mother experienced abuse as a child

Answer 53

Disorganised

Question 54

Type of adult attachment style in the adult attachment interview characterised by the ability to talk freely about both positive and negative experiences during childhood

Answer 54

Autonomous

Question 55

Type of adult attachment style in the adult attachment interview characterised by minimising childhood experiences

Answer 55

Dismissing

Question 56

Type of adult attachment style in the adult attachment interview characterised by emotionally laden answers and rambling about their childhood experiences

Answer 56

Entangled

Question 57

Type of adult attachment style in the adult attachment interview characterised by broken continuity and an illogical flow of thoughts

Answer 57

Unresolved

Question 58

Childhood disorder associated with poor attachment

Answer 58

Oppositional defiant disorder

Question 59

Age at which attachment behaviour peaks

Answer 59

12-18 months

Question 60

Age at which there is lessoning of attachment behaviour and the attachment figure can be substituted

Answer 60

School age

Question 61

Age at which infants show preferential orientation towards selected people

Answer 61

5-7 months

Question 62

Age at which stranger anxiety develops

Answer 62

7-9 months

Question 63

Age at which attachment behaviour becomes evident

Answer 63

7-9 months

Question 64

Stages in an acute separation reaction, when a child is separated from its attachment figure

Answer 64

Protest Despair Detachment

Question 65

Age of children in the strange situation test

Answer 65

12-18 months

Question 66

Emotional state in which attachment behaviour is most evident

Answer 66

Stressed

Question 67

Described anaclitic depression among children deprived of their primary care giver

Answer 67

Spitz

Question 68

Term for a mother's attachment to her child

Answer 68

Bonding

Question 69

Term for a father's attachment to his child

Answer 69

Engrossment

Question 70

First described imprinting

Answer 70

Spalding

Question 71

Popularised imprinting

Answer 71

Lorenz

Question 72

Concept where individuals' close proximity in early years reduces later sexual attraction

Answer 72

Reverse sexual imprinting