Chapter 11 - Attachment and Development of Self

Question 1

What is attechment?

Answer 1

an emotional bond with a specific person that endured across space and time

Question 2

What is the general gist of John Bowlby’s theories of attachment?

Answer 2

what happens in the 1st year of life dictates development in adulthood

Question 3

Explain Harry Harlow’s experiments with monkeys.

Answer 3

• studied attachment in monkey
• separated young monkeys from their mother
• gave them 2 structures who where their “moms” (soft mom and wire mom)
• Wire mom had food, but soft mom didn’t
• Monkeys only went to wire mom when absolutely driven by hunger

Question 4

Describe Mary Ainsworth’s “The Strange Situation”

Answer 4

• lab procedure to assess infants’s attachment to their primary caregiver.

procedure:
1. mom and baby play together
2. researcher signals mom to leave room
3. mom comes back into room

• how child reacts to mom returning is the independent variable and key indicator of attachment style

Question 5

Describe Bowlby’s Attachment theory

Answer 5

Pre-attachment phase (birth - 6 weeks)
- infant produces innate signals that bring others to their side, and they are comforted by the following interaction

Attachment-in-the-making (6 weeks to 6-8months)
- infants begin to respond preferentially to familiar people

Clear-cut attachment (6-8 months to 1 1/2 - 2 years)
- infants actively seeking contact with their caregivers

Question 6

How do adult’s recollection of their childhood differ depending on their attachment style

Answer 6

Autonomous/ severe (secure child):
- discuss past in consistent and coherent manner. Recall both positive and negative aspects.

Dismissive (anxious/ avoidant child):
- can’t recall parental interactions or minimize impact of parents on their development

Preoccupied:
- intensely focused on parents. Give confused and angry accounts of attachment experiences

Disorganized:
- past traumatic experiences of loss or abuse. Descriptions may lack resoning or sense.

Question 7

What are some interesting variations of attachment in Japanese babies, what are some possible causes of this difference?

Answer 7

• all insecure babies were classified as insecure/ resistant, not insecure/ avoidant

Likely because..
1) Japanese culture promotes oneness between mother and child
2) perhaps parents were self-conscious and inhibited behavior

Question 8

What are some common experiences of people with specific attachment styles in their romantic relationships?

Answer 8

Secure - most satisfying, long-lasting relationship type; self confident and trusting of others; most responsive to person

Anxious-ambivalent - short intense relationship but with many emotional highs/lows; dissatisfied w/ attentiveness partner

Avoidant - lack intimacy; fearful of closeness and/or rejection; lack trust, emotionally distant; fear rejection

Question 9

Define Self-concept

Answer 9

thoughts about one’s own physical being, social roles and relationships, and internal characteristics

Question 10

What is the timeline for self concept development?

Answer 10

2-4 months: physical awareness
8 months: attachment and existence
12 months: reciprocal relationships

Question 11

What is the rouge test? when can kids “pass” it by?

Answer 11

• rouge (blush) is painted on kids’ face then they’re asked to look in the mirror. Before 18-20 months kids look at reflection and think its someone else. After 18-20 months they successfully realize its their reflection

Question 12

In terms of self concept development, what can most kids do by 30 months

Answer 12

recognize their own photograph

Question 13

In terms of self concept development, what can most kids do by 3 - 4 years old?

Answer 13

understand themselves in terms of concrete terms

Question 14

How and why does self concept change during elementary school?

Answer 14

• sense of self changes as social comparison begins at school

Question 15

In terms of self concept development, what happens during adolecence?

Answer 15

kids begin to think of themselves in abstract terms

Question 16

In terms of self concept development, what happens during early adolesence?

Answer 16

• teens thinking of self is characterized by several forms of egocentrism
• personal fable - thought hat no-one can relate to them (overpowering sense of self)
• imaginary audience - feeling that they are always the center of attention (egocentrism)

Question 17

What is the difference between self concept and self esteem?

Answer 17

self concept = what you know about yourself
self esteem = how you evaluate what you know about yourself

Question 18

Around what age can self esteem begin to be measured?

Answer 18

• around elementary school-aged kids

Question 19

How are/ why are the differences in self esteem between western and eastern cultures?

Answer 19

• western cultures have higher self esteems b/c the culture values individual accomplishments
• eastern cultures have lower self esteems because their cultures value contribution to the welfare of the group