Module 2: The Social Approach

Question 1

Attachment

Answer 1

John Bowlby: Pioneered the Attachment Theory

Attachment: A close emotional relationship between two persons, characterized by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity.

Question 2

Secure Base

Answer 2

A Secure Base refers to a healthy relationship between the caregiver and child; when the infant views their caregiver as someone they can rely/depend on.

A Secure Base is created when:

(1) Caregiver is responsive to the child’s needs

(2) Caregiver and child engage in mutually enjoyable activities.

Question 3

Internal Working Model

Answer 3

The kind of care one receives as an infant is internalised, and that in turn informs the relationships we form as adults.

The internal working model determines:

(1) Sense of self worth

(2) Sense of trust

(3) How well one can relate to others

Question 4

Caregiver Hypothesis

Answer 4

Term coined by Mary Ainsworth (student of Bowlby)

The notion that the quality of care one receives from their caregiver in infancy will influence their future attachment style.

Question 5

Strange Situation Experiment

Answer 5

Experiment devised by Mary Ainsworth (1971) to investigate the attachment styles of infants.

This involved observing how a child reacts to separations and reunions with their caregiver in order to categorize their attachment as secure, avoidant, or resistant.

Results:

Secure Attachment: Baby is distressed when the mother leaves.

Avoidant Attachment: Baby is indifferent to the mother, and treats the mother and the stranger in the same way.

Resistant Attachment: Very distressed when the mother leaves, and angry when she returns.

Question 6

Secure Attachment

Answer 6

Child feels safe and confident enough to explore their surroundings, starts to have faith in their abilities, and learns how to be resilient and independent.

The caregiver is emotionally available, sensitive and consistent.

Question 7

Avoidant Attachment

Answer 7

Child feels rejected, suffers from emotional isolation, feels stressed and scared, & perceives themselves as unacceptable and unworthy.

Caregiver is often distant and dismissive.

Question 8

Resistant Attachment

Answer 8

Child has negative self esteem, exaggerates emotional responses to gain attention, are unsociable and aggressive.

Caregiver is often inconsistent, indifferent, & misunderstands the child’s behaviour.

Question 9

Disorganized Attachment

Answer 9

Term coined by Mary Main and Judith Solomon

Disorganized Attachment style is observed in children who grew up in abusive environments; their caregiver is the person they were taught to fear.

During the Strange Situation Experiment these infants reacted with a confusing mixture of approach and avoidance towards their caregiver.

Question 10

Monotropy Hypothesis

Answer 10

The notion that infants have an innate tenancy to form a special bond with one person, generally the mother.

Question 11

Critical Period

Answer 11

The first 18 months of life, in which the infant must form a bond with their caregiver. Otherwise negative consequences will follow (eg. Delinquency, Reduced Intelligence, Depression)

Question 12

Deprivation

Answer 12

The state of a child who has formed a close attachment to someone, but is later separated from the person.

Question 13

Privation

Answer 13

The state of a child who has never formed a close attachment with another person.

Effects are much more severe and long lasting than deprivation.

Question 14

Milgram Shock Experiment

Answer 14

Experiment carried out by Stanley Milgram, in order to find out to what extent people would harm others under the influence of authority.

Participants were required to administer electric shocks to a learner each time they made a mistake. 65% of participants administered the highest amount of volts.

Question 15

3 Reasons why people obey authority, according to the Milgram Shock Experiment

Answer 15

(1) Agentic State

(2) Hierarchy of Power/Status

(3) Gradual Increments

Question 16

Conformity

Answer 16

Change in behaviour in order to go along with a group.

The tendency to blend in, to think and act like others around us, due to social norms which are learnt implicitly/indirectly.

Question 17

Normative Influence

Answer 17

Driven by a sense of belonging, when one conforms in order to be liked and accepted by others.

Question 18

Informative Influence

Answer 18

When one conforms to others due to the underlying belief that other people have superior judgement, and accurate information.

Question 19

Solomon Asch’s Majority Influence Experiment

Answer 19

Asch conducted a “vision test” , where he had college students identify which of three lines on one card was the same length as a line on another card.

Study participants were found to be more likely to conform to obviously wrong answers, if first given by other participants.

Solomon concluded the power of the majority overseeds our own person judgement.

Question 20

Obedience

Answer 20

A form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, usually an authority figure.

Question 21

Stanford Prison Experiment

Answer 21

Experiment carried out by Philip Zimbardo (1971) in order to understand the effect of roles, labels, and social expectations in a stimulated prison environment.

The guards took up their roles with enthusiasm, their behaviour became a threat to the prisoners’ psychological and physical health, and the study was stopped after 6 days instead of the intended 14.

Question 22

Group Polarisation

Answer 22

The tendency for groups to show a shift towards the extremes of decision-making when compared to decisions made by individuals.

Question 23

Groupthink

Answer 23

Groupthink is the modification of the opinions of members of a group to align with what they believe is the group consensus.

This phenomenon can hinder opposing trains of thought, and the elimination of diverse opinions contributes to faulty group decisions.

Question 24

Prosocial Behaviour

Answer 24

Behaviour that benefits society.

Question 25

Empathy - Altruism Hypothesis

Answer 25

Selfless Acts: If someone feels empathy towards another person, they will help them, regardless of what they can gain.

Question 26

Negative – State Relief Model

Answer 26

Self Serving Acts: Human beings have an innate drive to reduce negative moods, by engaging in helpful behaviour.

Question 27

Bystander Effect

Answer 27

The idea that when there is a large crowd, people are less likely to help due to the diffusion of responsibility.

The idea of the Bystander effect came from the killing of Kitty Genovese. She was stabbed outside her apartment block in the middle of the night. 37 people saw the murder yet no one called to help. This inspired research and study of the bystander effect.