Social Psychology Flashcards
Outline Schaffer & Emerson Glasgow babies study in 1964.
60 Glasgow infants were studied using observations & interviews with parents at regular intervals during the first 18 months after birth.
What did they find from Schaffer & Emerson’s Glasgow study?
A particular pattern of attar my behaviour occurred & identified stages in the development of attachment
What is the first stage of attachment? (S&E)
Asocial (0-6weeks) - babies respond in a similar way to people & objects but prefer human stimuli
What is the 2nd stage of attachment (S&E)?
Diffuse (6weeks-6months) - no specific preference for a particular individual can be comforted by anyone
What is the 3rd stage of attachment (S&E)?
Single Strong Attachment (7-12months) babies show a strong preference for a single individual & will show a fear of strangers
What is the last stage of attachment according to (S&E)?
Babies will show attachment towards several figures. By 18 months some infants may have as many as 5 attachments.
List the four different types of care giver interactions.
- Immediate physical contact
- Imitation
- Interactional Synchrony
- Modified language or motherese
What is attachment according to Schaffer 1996?
A long enduring emotionally meaningful tie to a particular individual.
Outline immediate physical contact.
Mother & Baby skin to skin contact straight after birth.
Outline imitation
Capacity for young infants to imitate adults’ facial expression
Outline Interactional Synchrony
Infants co-ordinating their actions in time with adult speech
Outline modified language or motherese.
Distinctive language pattern - sing song nature.
Outline Melzoff & Moore’s (1977) study
A- investigated imitation of facial expressions in 2-3 week old infants
M- Infants were given 3 facial expressions tongue out pouting & open mouth. Dummy was placed in infants mouths to prevent movement before & after. After the expression was modelled a video was set to record the infant’s. Independent judges rated the infant’s responses.
R- Significant association between the model & infant’s behaviour.
C- V. young infants will imitate facial and hand movements. The same was demonstrated with infants of less than 3 days old
Outline animal research associated with attachment.
Harlow (1959)
A- Behaviour of infant monkeys separated from their mothers
M -Rhesus monkeys were separated from their mothers & kept in a cage with two mothers. 1 wire mother that provided food & another cloth mother which provided comfort.
R- Infant monkeys preferred to spend time with the cloth mother spending 18-22 hours on the cloth mum. The rhesus monkeys showed inappropriate social behaviour, aggression & delinquency. They were aggressive to other monkeys & attacked those who attempted to mate. If they had offspring they were neglecting mothers
C- Physical contact is more important than food. Lack of attachment can lead to delinquent behaviour
What research is linked with immediate skin contact?
Klaus & Kennell (1976) - mothers who cuddled their babies during the critical period after birth have better relationships
What research is linked with interactional synchrony?
Condon & Sander (1974) babies coordinate their actions with adult speech. Frame by frame video analysis of babies actions matched adult speech
What research is linked with motherese?
Snow & Ferguson (1977) - distinctive sing song language used between parents and their infants
What did Isabella et al find in 1989?
Securely-attached mother-infant pairs were those who had shown more instances of interactional synchrony in home observations during the 1st year.
What did Papousek et al find in 1991?
Chinese, German & American mothers tended to use a rising tone to signal to the baby that it was their turn.
What did Murray & Trevathen do in 1985?
They deliberately interfered with interactional turn taking, telling mothers to adopt a frozen face with their babies. They found infants began crying turning away from their mother’s face or deliberately trying to gain her attention
State an evaluative point for immediate physical contact
Myers (1984) suggested that immediate physical skin contact is neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of attachment
What have critics of imitation studies suggest?
Jacobsen (1979) - Young babies are not intentionally sociable therefore they will respond to inanimate objects in a similar way.
What did Abravanel and DeYong find in 1991?
5 and 12 week old babies would imitate tongue pulling & mouth opening models but not when stimulated using objects
What did LeVine et al. find in 1994 in regards to interactional synchrony?
Mothers in Kenya rarely cuddle & interact closely with their babies even though they are attentive to their needs & have secure attachments
What is an evaluative point in regards to motherese?
Motherese may enhance communication but there is no evidence to suggest that it directly affects the formation or quality of attachment. As there are people who use motherese with their children as well as others who are not their own.
Outline the functions of attachment
Survival - proximity, food & communication
Internal Working Model - early relationships act as a model for future relationships
What is the cupboard love theory based on?
Classical Conditioning associating pleasure of food with parent
What research refutes cupboard love theory?
Harlow
What research supports proximity?
Lorenz (1935) imprinting of ducks = evolutionary drive to remain close to their mother for protection
Bowlby (1969) attachment was rooted in the need for proximity
What research supports communication?
Bower (1976) Infants are selective in choosing their attachments & will attach to whoever communicates with them best
What research supports the internal working model?
Bowlby 1969 - model acts as an internal representation of future relationships
What did Dunn 1993 criticise the internal working model for?
It was too general
What is an issue with Bowlby’s IWM?
It is too pessimistic suggesting that if your first attachment is unhappy all will be the same
What does Barnes 1995 suggest is a strength of the IWM
It combines several different perspectives in psychology eg cognitive & behaviourists - understanding attachment & if the behaviour is rewarded it is more likely to be repeated
Outline Ainsworth Strange Situation (1978)
A- To study the reactions of young children to brief separation from their mother to determine the nature & types of attachment
M- Controlled observation inc. 8 stages the child was exposed to 3minute episodes & their behaviour was recorded throughout
R- 67% US children were securely attached 21% Avoidant 12% Resistant/Ambivalent
C- There are different types of attachments & the type of attachment is dependant on the mother’s sensitivity & responsiveness
Outline the 8 stages in Ainsworth Strange Situation
- Caregiver & infant are placed into unfamiliar room with toys
- Child & caregiver are left alone
- Stranger enters the room reads & starts to play with the infant
- Caregiver leaves, leaving the child & stranger alone
- Caregiver returns & stranger leaves
- Caregiver leaves again & infant is alone
- Stranger returns
- Caregiver & infant reunited
What is Anxious Avoidant? (Type A)
A child who ignores mother seems indifferent, easily comforted by stranger little signs of distress
What is Secure? (Type B)
Happy in mother’s presence distressed when mother leaves calm on her return wary of stranger actively seeks proximity & interaction