Week Seven - Attachment & Parenting Flashcards
What is attachment?
An affectional tie between an individual and a specific other that endures over time and physical separation
Explain attachment behaviours
There are some common behaviours but there are also large individual differences
Explain the Learning theory
Suggests there is an importance of the mother-infant relationship and feeding
Mother and infant are mutually reinforced by feeding
- does not account for strong emotions
Explain the Ethology theory
Imprinting - innate tendency to follow mother (genetically preprogrammed)
- critical period for imprinting
Explain Bowlby’s attachment theory
Described how infants become attached to adults
The first 5 years of life are critical for attachment otherwise it may cause abnormal development
What is monotropic theory?
Attachment to a single other - usually the mother
For normal development - the parent-child attachment must be?
Warm, intimate and continuous
What did Mary Ainsworth promote?
The idea of a caregiver as a secure base and investigated individual differences in type and degree of attachment in infants
Explain Ainsworth’s strange situation
It involves observing the behaviour of infants in a series of highly standardised scenarios:
- When the infant is with the parent
- In the absence of the parent
- When a stranger is present
- When the parent returns
What occurs in a SECURE attachment style? (65-70%)
Initially will play happily and explore in an unfamiliar room - as long as parent is present
Become wary when stranger enters but will still continue to play - but easily comforted when alone with them
When parent leaves, they may search/cry and immediately seek contact on return
Recover quickly from distress
What does a secure attachment promote?
It promotes the seeking of effective relationships and look for others who can help them feel good about themselves in adulthood
Define an INSECURE-AVOIDANT attachment style (20%)
Initially show little involvement with parent and seek little proximity when parent is present
Not distress - does not cry when parent leaves
React similarly to parent and stranger
Show low-level engagement and tendency to avoid when reunited with parent
What can be the outcomes of an insecure-avoidant attachment?
They may mask their emotions - believe others are untrustworthy
Tend to be emotionally avoidant
May rely on themselves and risk aggressive behaviour
Characteristics of an INSECURE-AMBIVALENT attachment style? (10%)
Both positive and negative reactions to parent
There is anxiety even before separation - want close contact with parent
No/minimal exploration of room and exhibit intense distress at separation
Refuse comfort from stranger and seek close contact on reunion (but resist comforting)
Outcomes of Insecure-ambivalent attachment?
May find it hard to manage anxiety in everyday life
Exaggerate emotions and have negative beliefs about themselves and risk phobias, anxiety, depression etc
Characteristics of DISORGANISED-DISORIENTED attachment (5-10%)
Inconsistent and contradictory behaviour
When parent returns, approach but avoid eye contact - unresponsive when held (frozen, turn head)
Cry out after being comforted
Outcomes of DD attachment?
Often unable to form close relationships
Risk of personality disorders
Explain the parental role in attachment
Attachment depends on how parents responds to child’s overtures
What maternal behaviours are associated with a SECURE attachment
Appropriate response to needs
No over or under responding
Responsive to how infant feels
What maternal behaviours are associated with a INSECURE attachment
Inconsistent response to needs
Ignore or reject infants overtures
Unclear/ambivalent messages to infant
As part of attachment everyone has?
Environmental model
Organismal model
What is an Environmental model?
An internal working model of the world
What is the Organismal model?
An internal working model of self and others
When are IWM built? What are they based on, allow and encode?
Built in first 5 years of life
Based on everyday child-parent interactions
They encode one’s own attachment style
Allow the child to predict , control and manipulate their environment
