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A Level Psychology > Attachment > Flashcards

Flashcards in Attachment Deck (58)
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1
Q

Define attachment

A

a close two way (reciprocal) emotional bond between two people in which each sees the other as essential for their own emotional security

2
Q

Name Maccoby’s 4 key behaviours that show that an attachment has been formed

A

seeking proximity
joy on reunion
separation distress
secure base behaviour

3
Q

Name a reason as to why we form attachments

A

for survival as infants are physically helpless

4
Q

Why do we form attachments in the short term

A

food, comfort, protection

5
Q

Why do we form attachments in the long term

A

for emotional relationships

6
Q

How old is an infant

A

under 2

7
Q

How long does an infant and PCG attachment take to form

A

7 months

8
Q

What 3 behaviours help develop this attachment

A

physical contact
mimicking (innate)
caregiverese

9
Q

What is reciprocity

A

when infants coordinate their actions to PCG in a kind of conversation
each responds and is able to elicit a response

10
Q

What did Tronick et al find with reciprocity

A

that when mothers stopped responding then babies cry and become frustrated

11
Q

What did Trevathen say about reciprocity

A

that turn taking is important for the development of social and language skills

12
Q

What is interactional synchrony

A

when people interact in a mirror pattern with emotions and behaviour

13
Q

What does Feldman define IS as

A

the temporal co ordination of micro level social behaviour

14
Q

What did Meltzoff and Moore (1977) observe

A

IS at 2 weeks, suggesting attachment is innate

15
Q

What did Isabella et al (1989) find

A

that more attached mothers and infants show more IS

16
Q

Evaluate IS and reciprocity

A

they are descriptive rather than explanatory, we don’t know how or why they are important
we cannot be certain of babies intentions, we have to assume

17
Q

Why do some say fathers cannot be PCG

A

they are not psychologically (no oestrogen), socially (social norms) or biologically (cannot breastfeed) equipped

18
Q

What do some say about the fathers role

A

that they are the ‘playmate’

19
Q

Who studies the fathers playmate role

A

Grossman (2002)

20
Q

What did Hardy (1999) say about fathers

A

they are less able to detect distress and cause of distress

21
Q

Explain Schaffer and Emersons (1964) stages of attachment method

A

60 babies
longitudinal design
All from Glasgow, skilled working class families
Babies and mothers were visited at home every month for the first year and again at 18 months
Measured stranger and separation anxiety

22
Q

Explain their findings

A

between 25-32 weeks, 50% showed separation anxiety usually to the mother, proving a specific attachment
Attachment was usually to the person who was most interactive and sensitive to infants signals
30 weeks 80% had specific attachments and 30% had multiple

23
Q

Name and explain the first stage

A
Asocial stage
first few weeks
baby recognises carer
similar behaviour towards human and non human 
shows some preference to familiar faces 
happier in presence of other humans
24
Q

Name and explain the second stage

A
Indiscriminate stage 
2-7 months 
more observable behaviours 
preference for human over non human 
prefer familiar faces 
no separation or stranger anxiety 
will accept comfort from anyone
25
Q

Name and explain stage 3

A

specific attachment
7+ months
stranger anxiety
specific attachment to PCG

26
Q

Name and explain stage 4

A

12+ months
extend to secondary attachments
20% of babies had a secondary attachment within 1 month of forming a primary attachment

27
Q

Explain Lorenz’s animal study

A

imprinting on first moving object

critical period is 4-25 hours after birth in precocial animals

28
Q

Are humans precocial or altrical

A

Altrical as we cannot walk when we are born

29
Q

Evaluate Lorenz

A

relevant as it shows attachment is innate

issue of extrapolation as we are different to birds

30
Q

Who’s study suggested that Loren’s sexual imprinting was overstated

A

Guiton et al (1966) as he found it wasn’t permanent in chickens

31
Q

Explain Harlow’s animal study

A

Monkeys prefer soft mother even if they were reared on wire mother
monkeys reared on wire mother were dysfunctional
Monkeys prefered contact comfort
critical period was 90 days and any attachment was impossible after 90 days

32
Q

What did Bowlby find that aligned with Harlow

A

that if a human doesn’t form an attachment in the first 2 years then they will have reduced intelligence and increased aggression

33
Q

Evaluate Harlow

A

it has significant theoretical value as it showed the importance of contact comfort over food and importance of good quality early attachments for later social development
however he caused monkeys lots of stress and they have closely related emotions to humans

34
Q

Who suggested the Learning theory of attachment

A

Dollard and Miller (1950)

35
Q

Explain the learning theory

A

basic assumption that children attach to whoever feeds them

‘cupboard love’

36
Q

What is the LT a direct opposite to

A

evolutionary theory as ET is innate but LT is learnt

37
Q

Which experiments can link to LT

A

Pavlovs dogs and Skinners rats

38
Q

What is the primary and secondary reinforcer

A

P - food

S - mother

39
Q

Explain Sears et al (1957) contribution to LT

A

Drive reduction
hunger is primary drive (innate biological motivator)
attachment is secondary drive through association

40
Q

Evaluate LT of attachment

A

Harlows monkeys did not attach to mother who fed them
Schaffer and emersons babies attached to mother and not primary care giver/ feeder
Rejects importance of IS and reciprocity

41
Q

What theory did Bowlby reject

A

LT

42
Q

Which theory did Bowlby propose

A

Monotropic/evolutionary theory

43
Q

Why does he believe attachment is an innate system

A

as it gives us a survival advantage as the CG protects us from danger
its adaptive

44
Q

What did Bowlby place emphasis on

A

the monotrophy, that one caregiver attachment is the most important
supported by Schaffer and Emerson specific attachment stage

45
Q

What two laws did he propose

A

Law of continuity - more constant and predictable care is better
Law of accumulated separation - separation adds up so no separation is safest, the more time spent together the better

46
Q

What are social releasers (ET)

A

‘cute’ behaviours babies are born with to activate the adult attachment system
supported by Brazleton and IS

47
Q

How long was the critical period that Bowlby suggested

A

2.5 years

48
Q

What is the internal working model (ET)

A

child forms a mental representation of their relationship with PCG and this serves as a model for their future relationships
also affects their later ability to parent (Bailey et al 2007)

49
Q

Evaluate Bowlby

A

puts pressure on mothers to be the PCG and not leave the child
fathers are not mentioned or believed to be essential
babies have genetically different behaviours

50
Q

Who set up a observation technique to observe a childs attachment to their caregiver

A

Mary Ainsworth 1969

51
Q

Explain the Strange Situation procedure

A

controlled observation

two way mirror

52
Q

What 5 behaviours are judged to show attachment

A
proximity seeking
exploration/secure base 
stranger anxiety 
separation anxiety 
response to reunion
53
Q

What did Ainsworth 1978 identify as the three main types of attachment

A

secure attachment
insecure avoidance
insecure resistant

54
Q

Explain secure attachment

A

type B
60-75%
shows good attachment

55
Q

Explain insecure avoidance attachment

A
type A 
no proximity needed 
no anxiety 
20-25%
may come from no response to signals
56
Q

explain insecure resistant attachment

A
type C
need greater proximity 
high anxiety 
resist comfort when reunited 
3% 
may come from wrong response to signals
57
Q

Evaluate the Strange Situation

A

good inter-rater reliability as the behavioural categories are easy to observe
Culture-bound as Takahashi (1990) found that in Japan, japanese mothers are never separated from their babies and their reunion is so intense it is hard to observe
Solomon (1986) found that their is another type of attachment (disorganised) where children display signs of A and C

58
Q

Outline what happens in the Strange Situation

A
baby encouraged to explore
stranger tries to interact 
CG leaves 
CG returns and stranger leaves 
CG leaves 
stranger returns 
CG returns