w3

Question 1

hi

Answer 1

hi

Question 2

Does parent gender matter for caregiver secure attachment?

Answer 2

No! Studies have found that children have secure attachments to fathers. Fox et al. (1991) → 65.5% of children securely attached to father.

Question 3

Does adoption matter for caregiver secure attachment?

Answer 3

Kind of. Van Den Fries et al. (2009) found that if a child is adopted before one year old, attachment security is similar to biological children. After one year, attachment is less secure.

Question 4

What are the types of assisted reproduction?

Answer 4

IVF, Donor Insemination (DI), Egg Donation (ED), Egg and Sperm Donation.

Question 5

Does assisted reproduction matter for caregiver secure attachment?

Answer 5

No. Golombok et al. (1995) found no difference in attachment security between IVF, DI, Adopted, or Natural conception.

Question 6

Does the sexuality of the caregiver affect secure attachment?

Answer 6

Golombok et al. (1997) found higher levels of secure attachment in lesbian mothers and single heterosexual mothers than in heterosexual couples.

Question 7

So does the type of caregiver matter?

Answer 7

Caregiver type (number, gender, orientation, biological relation) is less influential than the quality of family relationships and the social environment. Caregiver sensitivity matters most.

Question 8

What is the sensitivity hypothesis?

Answer 8

Caregiver sensitivity to infant attachment cues is the primary environmental determinant of attachment security.

Question 9

What is parental sensitivity?

Answer 9

Parental sensitivity is the ability to perceive and interpret infant signals to respond appropriately and promptly (Ainsworth, Bell & Stayton, 1974).

Question 10

What are the components of parental sensitivity?

Answer 10

Awareness of signals, interpretation of signals, appropriate response, and promptness.

Question 11

What’s the spectrum of parental sensitivity?

Answer 11

Highly insensitive caregivers focus on their own needs, delay responses, and ignore infant cues. Highly sensitive caregivers respond promptly, accurately interpret cues, and offer appropriate alternatives.

Question 12

What design is used to measure parental sensitivity and attachment?

Answer 12

Cross-sectional studies describe associations, longitudinal studies track predictors over time, and intervention studies test causality.

Question 13

What would an intervention study look like?

Answer 13

Baseline assessments → Randomly assign parents to training or control → Post-test assessment.

Question 14

Is parental sensitivity associated with child attachment security?

Answer 14

Correlation studies (Ainsworth, 1978; De Wolff & Van Ijzendoorn, 1997) suggest an association, but causality is unclear.

Question 15

What is temperament?

Answer 15

Temperament refers to individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation, including fearfulness and mood stability.

Question 16

Are there child-driven effects on parents?

Answer 16

An infant’s temperament (heritable) may affect attachment security. Fearful or volatile children may form secure attachments with sensitive parents.

Question 17

Is parental sensitivity mediated through genetic factors?

Answer 17

No evidence. Adoptive parents’ sensitivity is associated with child attachment security (Geert-Jan et al., 2002).

Question 18

What impacts parental sensitivity?

Answer 18

Parental attachment representation, measured via Adult Attachment Interviews, influences parental sensitivity.

Question 19

What is the intergenerational transmission model?

Answer 19

Explains how attachment patterns are passed through generations via caregiver attachment, caregiving, and child attachment.

Question 20

How are specific attachment styles transmitted?

Answer 20

Autonomous caregivers → Secure child attachment. Dismissive caregivers → Avoidant child attachment. Preoccupied caregivers → Resistant child attachment.

Question 21

What did Verhage et al. (2016) find about intergenerational transmission?

Answer 21

Biologically-related caregivers had a moderate correlation (r = .31), while adoptive/foster caregivers had a lower correlation (r = .26), suggesting reduced genetic influence.

Question 22

What are the criticisms of the sensitivity hypothesis?

Answer 22

Unidimensionality is questioned. Other factors like ‘mind-mindedness’ and cultural variations are also important.

Question 23

What is the competence hypothesis?

Answer 23

Secure attachment allows children to explore confidently, develop self-efficacy, and gain competence.

Question 24

What is internalising?

Answer 24

Internalising problems involve inward distress (e.g., anxiety, depression).

Question 25

What is externalising?

Answer 25

Externalising problems involve outward behaviors (e.g., aggression, defiance).

Question 26

Why might attachment matter for mental health?

Answer 26

Healthy attachment fosters a positive self and world view. Insecure attachment is linked to internalising/externalising problems.

Question 27

What study shows externalising problems and attachment?

Answer 27

Fearon et al. (2010) found insecure attachment linked to more externalising problems, stronger in males.

Question 28

What study shows internalising problems and attachment?

Answer 28

Groh et al. (2012) found insecure attachment slightly linked to internalising problems, with avoidant attachment showing the strongest link.

Question 29

Is attachment related to later mental health?

Answer 29

Yes. Groh et al. (2012) meta-analysis found insecure attachment linked to internalising and externalising problems.

Question 30

What’s the relationship between attachment and social competence?

Answer 30

Groh et al. (2014) found secure attachment associated with higher social competence.

Question 31

What do we need to consider about these meta-analyses?

Answer 31

Confounding factors, lack of true longitudinal studies, no causal evidence, and specificity issues.

Question 32

How do we address these potential confounds?

Answer 32

Stams et al. (2002) studied adopted children: Difficult temperament linked to more social and behavioral problems; sensitive parenting helped social skills but weakly affected behavior problems.

Question 33

What are some considerations about the competence hypothesis?

Answer 33

Attachment security is unlikely to be a sole cause of mental health issues. Multiple risk paths exist, including equifinality (different factors leading to the same disorder) and multifinality (one factor leading to multiple disorders).