Early beginnings and infancy [2]

Question 1

What are the potential long term effects of a secure attachment? Why is this argued to be the case?
Hypothesis from L.A. Sroufe et al (2010) review?

Answer 1

• closer, more harmonious peer and romantic relationships
• higher academic grades
  L.A. Sroufe et al (2010) –> ‘provides one with more attitudinal, motivational and emotional components to enter the world along with peers and cope with social challenges. Early interactions / experiences are internalised and carried forward’

Question 2

Other factors that may impact attachment?

Answer 2

• cultural differences
• more siblings
• trauma
• adoption or institutionalisation
• socioeconomic change
• post natal development
• presence of a father figure

Question 3

What causes such separation of individual parenting styles?

Answer 3

• personality differences
• cultural differences
• parents’ own attachments? –> Harry Harlow’s macaques
• emotional intelligence

Question 4

How can multiple attachments be beneficial?

Answer 4

• Multiple attachments are possible
• Multiple bonds/attachments will provide a stronger protective base and act as a protective factor for the child to explore their environment
• Also evidence to suggest that an increased number of total bonds increases the strength of the bond with mother

Question 5

What are the 4 adult attachment types?

Answer 5

• Secure
• Dismissive
• Fearful avoidant
• Anxious preoccupied

Question 6

What if attachments are disrupted or never form in the first place? Maternal deprivation

Answer 6

1) Maternal deprivation has links to increased delinquency –> Goldfarb (1943)
2) Increased report of domestic conflict and divorce (Hetherington 2002, Wallerstein 1987)

Question 7

Implications on children of the effects of day care?

Answer 7

Evidence to show day care decreases sociability, persistence and achievement (Clarke-Stewart, 1989)
The quality of the day care, however, is important and what impacts sociability and attention.

Question 8

Implications of secure adult attachment?

Answer 8

• Individual finds it easy to become emotionally close to others

Question 9

Implications of dismissive avoidant (distant) adult attachment?

Answer 9

• Individual is comfortable without any close relationships

Question 10

Implications of fearful avoidant adult attachment?

Answer 10

• Individual wants these close relationships but has difficulty trusting others

Question 11

Implications of anxious preoccupied adult attachment?

Answer 11

• Individual is ‘clingy’
  “I want to be completely emotionally intimate with others, but I often find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like.”
  “I sometimes worry that others don’t value me as much as I value them.”
• Individual worries that feelings of wanting to be close / feelings of closeness are not reciprocated

Question 12

BAUMRIND’s (1960s) PARENTING STYLES - outline features of authoritative parenting style

Answer 12

• considered ‘best’ kind?
• rules are firm but well communicated
• ready communication between carer and infant

Question 13

BAUMRIND’s (1960s) PARENTING STYLES - outline features of permissive parenting style

Answer 13

• shift in power paradigm
• kids are in charge
• no punishment or firm rules
• common in younger parents

Question 14

BAUMRIND’s (1960s) PARENTING STYLES - outline features of authoritarian parenting style

Answer 14

• common in minority groups
• very strict, many rules
• protective when used in the right area and capacity
• sometimes physical punishment involved

Question 15

BAUMRIND’s (1960s) PARENTING STYLES - outline features of uninvolved parenting style

Answer 15

• common in cases where adult is abusing substances
• lack of care and nurturing towards child
• adult indifferent towards child
• lack of communication and care

Question 16

CHESS AND THOMAS (1987) - aspect of ‘difficult baby’ temperament?

Answer 16

• low, negative moods
• irregular bodily functioning (sleeping/feeding/continence)
• withdrawn from new stimuli
• poor adaptation to change
  10% of infants

Question 17

CHESS AND THOMAS (1987) - aspect of ‘easy baby’ temperament?

Answer 17

• regular bodily functioning
• happy, positive moods
• regular sleeping patterns
• adjusts well to change
  40% of infants

Question 18

CHESS AND THOMAS (1987) - aspect of ‘slow to warm up baby’ temperament?

Answer 18

• low intensity reactions
• somewhat negative moods
• low adaptability
• low intensity of mood
  15% of infants

Question 19

Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis - what is it

Answer 19

Lack of attachment through maternal deprivation may lead to depression, delinquency, reduced intelligence and affectionless psychopathy

Question 20

Evidence against Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis (Rutter, 1972)? What else?

Answer 20

• Rutter (1972) argued each element has different effects, in particular deprivation (loss or damage of an attachment) and privation (failure to develop an emotional bond) were never distinguished
• over simplification of concept of maternal deprivation
• focuses too heavily on role of mother when evidence for multiple attachments
• has beenheavily criticised and ultimately discredited

Question 21

Schaffer and Emerson - what did their study show?

Answer 21

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) –> investigated stages of attachment and their results showed that by 10 months baby forms multiple attachments and provides evidences against Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis

Question 22

Why is the recognition of child temperament important for parents?

Answer 22

Paradigm is important in parent-child communication and may play a role in the formation of secure parent-child attachment relationships?
For example – a parent of introverted personality type, whom does not require a huge amount of face to face interaction for sufficient stimulation is likely to find it difficult to parent an extroverted child, whom requires more face to face communication for sufficient stimulation. Parent needs to adjust to the temperamental needs of their child.