Attachments Flashcards
(30 cards)
Define attachment
A two way emotional bond between two individuals in which each individual see each other as essential for their own security.
What are the three characteristics of attachments?
Secure base, proximity maintenance, seperation distress.
What is a secure base? (characteristics of attachments)
When the caregiver provides a good and reliable foundation to the child. Being secure means always being available when needed.
What is proximity maintenance? (characteristics of attachments)
When a child aims to explore their surroundings, but still tries to stay close to their primary caregiver, providing them with reassurance and security. It is the desire to be near people we are attached to.
What is separation distress? (characteristics of attachments)
When a child becomes unhappy and sorrowful when they are separated from their caregiver. For example when an infant cries when their mother leaves for work
Define interactional synchrony
When two people carry out interactions in a coordinated way, in time/in sync. Their actions and emotions mirror each other.
What did Meltzoff and Moore find about interactional synchrony?
Interactional synchrony in infants can start as young as 2 weeks old. They found that adults who made faces and gestures to the infant, the infant mirrored the faces given by the caregiver.
What is the importance of interactional synchrony (Isabella)
Isabella observed 30 babies and mothers. They found that high levels of synchrony was associated with a better attachment between mother and infant.
Define reciprocity
An interaction shows reciprocity when each person responds to the other and elicits a response from them.
> turn taking
Care giver interaction evaluation (Ao3)
2 strengths + 1 counter, 1 weakness
✅- Controlled observations of mother infant interaction. They recorded mother and infant from different angles, and analysed these recordings. It was also analysed by different research hers (high inter observer reliability). It was a lab setting meaning that EV’s were controlled.
✅- No demand characteristics- Infants didn’t know they were being observed. Research has high validity.
❌ Counter- However, mothers did know they were being observed so may change their behaviour towards infants.
❌ Socially sensitive research- Isabella claimed that high level of synchrony were associated with better quality mother infant attachment. However this is saying that if mother and infant do not have synchrony, they do not have an attachment (bad mother)
Aim and methods of Schaffer and Emerson
Aim- to investigate the development of attachments in infancy
Method- Longitudinal study on 60 babies, working class families in Glasgow.
Researchers visited mothers and infants in home every month for the first year and then again at 18 months. Self report if babies displayed stranger anxiety and separation anxiety.
> Mother left alone in room
> Stranger approach child.
What were the 4 stages that Schaffer and Emerson found.
Stage one- Asocial stage
Stage two- indiscriminate stage
Stage three- specific attachment
Stage 4- multiple attachments
Describe stage 1 of Schaffer and Emersons findings + age
Asocial stage (first few weeks)
> starts to recognise and form bonds
> babies behaviour towards objects and people are similar
> easy to comfort by anyone
Describe stage 2 of Schaffer and Emersons findings + age
Indiscriminate stage (2-7 months)
> Prefers people to objects
> Responds equally to caregivers, no stranger or separation anxiety
Describe stage 3 of Schaffer and Emersons findings + age
Specific attachment- (7-9 months)
> Attachment is formed
> Infant starts to look to specific people for comfort and protection
> Shows stranger and separation anxiety
Describe stage 4 of Schaffer and Emersons findings + age
Multiple attachments (9 months +)
> Forms several attachments
> Secondary attachments are formed (e.g. father)
What is sensitive responsiveness?
Attachments are most likely to form with the caregiver who is most interactive and sensitive to infants signals, not just who fed them.
Evaluation of Schaffer and Emersons study
1 strength, 2 limitations
✅- Longitudinal study- Research was conducted over 2 years meaning that there will be a lot of evidence to support Schaffer and Emersons findings.
❌- Self report method- Mothers reported their infants behaviours through a questionnaire. May be bias as they may want to have presented their infants in a good way, making the results lack validity.
❌- Limited sample- This study only used 60 mother and infants who were working class. This means that we are unable to generalise the results with over family for example family who are middle class from England.
What did Grossman study suggest is the role of the father?
> Differs to mothers role
Conducted a longitudinal study that suggested that the father’s role is to do with play and stimulation and less to do with nurturing.
What did Lamb suggest about the role of the father?
> Differs to mothers role
Suggested that children preferred interacting with fathers when in a positive emotional state, whereas mothers are preferred when children are distressed and seeking comfort.
What did Hrdy suggest about fathers being the primary care giver.
Not equip to be the primary care giver as they are less able to detect distress in infants compared to mothers (due to a lack of oestrogen).
What did Lamb suggest about fathers being the primary caregiver?
Fathers who become main caregivers quickly develop more sensitivity to children’s needs which suggests that sensitive responsiveness isn’t a biological ability limited to women.
Evaluation of the role of the father
1 strength, 2 limitations
✅- Real world applications- Lamb suggests that fathers can be the primary caregivers. This means that mothers are able to go back to work and the father can be a primary care giver (economic implications).
❌- The research is heteronormative (stereotypical)- Focuses on the assumption that all children have heterosexual parents. The findings from these studies are not representative of children with single or same sex parents
❌- Clarity- The questions ‘what is the role of the father?’ is more complex than it seems. Some researchers focus on the role of the father as secondary attachment figures and some focus on fathers and the PCG. Question is still unanswered due to conflicting viewpoints (lacks validity)
Aim and methods of Ainsworths strange situation study
Aim- To observe key attachment behaviours as a way of assessing the baby’s attachment to the caregiver
Method- 100 American infants and their mothers were observed in a pre-set play room.
> Controlled observation
> Used different conditions to test infants, exploration, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, reunion behaviour and mother’s sensitivity.
