Attachments Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is attachment
A close two way emotional bond between two individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security
What does altricial mean. Give and example
Altricial is when something is born or hatched in a helpless undeveloped condition requiring prolonged parental care.
Eg. Humans
What does precocial mean. Give an example
Precocial means born or hatched in a condition requiring little parental care as having feathers/hair/open eyes and the ability to move independently
Eg. Horses
What are the short term and long term benefits of attaching in early infancy?
•Social development
•Template for future relationship
•Evolutionary advantage for helpless offspring
•Foundation for survival
What is reciprocity? Give an example
When one person responds which then elicits a response form the other person.
Eg. Smiling back at someone when they smile at us
What is interactional synchrony?
When an action or emotion is mirrored simultaneously. Relates to the timing and pattern, it is rhythmic
What is the case for reciprocity and interactional synchrony
Meltzoff and Moore (1983)
What was meltzoff and moores study on reciprocity and interactional synchrony
40 babies were shown 3 facial expressions
Controls: sat om mothers lap, contolled when baby last fed, dummy in mouth
Measuring: tongue protrusion/ termination of mouth/ Mouth opening
Slow motion camera recorded enables accuracy of expression mirrored
16/40 copied behaviour
1/40 didn’t match
Conclusion
When forming attachment babeis show interactional synchrony
What are the stages of attachment
Asocial(0-6 weeks)
Cannot recognise difference between objects and faces
Indiscriminate(6 weeks- 6 months)
Recognise difference but no separation or stranger anxiety. Mo attachment
Specific (7 months+)
Separation anxiety and stranger distress demonstrated
Formed attachment
Multiple (10/11 months+)
Developed mutliple attachments to others e.g. grandparents
APRC Schaffer and Emerson study
Aim: gradual development of attachments
P: 60 Glasgow babies. Monthly visits for the first year. Every 18 months after.
2 types of behaviour: Separation anxiety and stranger distress
Asked mother about babies responses to situations using a 4 point scale 0(no protest)-3(loud cries)
R: mother main attachment figure had (65%) attachment with infant Father (3%)
27% with both
75% of infants formed attachment with father at 18 months
Against father’s role in attachment
Research shows role of father may differ depending on gender of child
Research suggests quality of attachment with father may be less influential in adolescence than mother
Schaffer & Emerson = 65% of main attachment with mother, 3% was father
For fathers role in attachment
Research shows the father in a single parent family adopts traditional maternal role
Grossman- father fulfils a different role from mother (play vs emotional support) which is important to developing a child’s confidence
Schaffer & Emerson= 75% of infants formed attachment with father at 18 months
Role of father and implications for economy
If father’s have a role:
=more fathers remain at home and therefore contribute less to economy
= more mothers may return to work and contribute to economy e.g. increased likelihood of higher female salary
Change laws on paternity leave- increase from 2 weeks (government funded so affects economy e.g. higher temporary staff costs)
Gender pay gap may be reduced if parent roles regarded as more equal
What are the animal studies in attachment
Lorenz
Harlows Monkeys
Animal studies Lorenz A01
Method
IV1 Hatched and first saw biological mother (goose)- control group
1V2 Hatched and first saw Lorenz- experimental group
Procedure
Incubated and controlled who goslings hatched and saw
Observed how goslings respond
Observed goslings when he mixed experimental group with control
Results
Experimental group followed and imitated Lorenz within first 24 hours (critical period)
Control group followed and imitated goose
Conclusion
Goslings imprinted on first thing they see within 24 hrs
Animal studies Harlows monkeys
Method
8 rhesus monkeys placed in cage from birth for 165 days and in 1/2 conditions
Cloth no bottle and wire bottle monkey
Cloth bottle monkey and wire no bottle monkey
Procedure
Observed rhesus monkeys proximity to & time spent on cloth or wire monkey
Introduced novel stimuli to provoke stress (similar to stranger anxiety) in monkeys e.g. a toy bear
Results
Found in both conditions rhesus monkeys stayed closer and spent more time on cloth than wite monkey regardless of bottle of milk
There were also fearful of other rhesus monkeys, had socialisation issues (aggressive behaviour)
Conclusion
Monkeys attachment occurred because of comfort rather than food
This was a long term effect which could not be reversed
Theorys of explanations of attachment
Learning theory (nurture)
Bowlbys monotropic theory (nature)
Whats is learining theory
Classical conditioning- learned throuhh association by repeated pairings of UCS and NS
UCS= UCR
Food= love
UCS + NS = UCR
food + cargiver= love
CS = CR
caregiver= love
Opernat conditioning- learnt through consequence
Positive reinforcement= pleasure from the food (primary reinforcer) increases attachment to the caregiver providing food (secondary reinforcer)
Negative reinforcement= food removes hunger druve thus increasing attachment to caregiver ( secondary reinforcer) providing negative reinforcement
Classical conditioning creates the attachment
Operant conditioning maintains and stengthens the attachment formed
Bowlbys monotropic theory A01
Attachment is innate, evolution due to social releasers (big eyes, small nose, smiling)
The monotrophy figure (one main maternal caregiver) creates a secure base from which the child feels safe to explore the world
This occurs in the critical period 0-18 months
During this period the infants internal working model forms a template for future relationships
This then continues into adulthood and passed on through generations, known as the continuity hypothesis
