attachment
attachment figures
caregiver infant interactions
interactions: babies have frequent and important interaction with their caregiver
reciprocity: mothers respond to infant alertness. from 3 months close attention between mother and infant.
interactional synchrony: interaction become co-ordinated. isabella et al: quality of attachment related to synchrony.
parent-infant:L traditionally mother-infant, other attachment figures like the father may also be important
the role of the father: grossman etal- attachment to fathers less important but fathers may have different role - play and stimulation
fathers as primary caregivers: field- fathers as primary adopt attachment behaviour more typical of mothers.
schaffer and emerson
stages of attachment
indiscriminate attachment- more observant attachment behaviour, accepts cuddles from anyone.
asocial stage- little observable social behaviour.
specific attachment - Stanger and separation anxiety in regard to one particular adult
multiple attachment- attachment behaviour directed towards more than one adult.
animal studies
Harlow's research- monkeys
Lorenz's research-goslings
explanations of attachment; Bowlby's theory
monotropy- one particular attachment is different in quality and importance than others.
social releasers and the critical period- innate cute behaviours in the first two years.
internal working model- mental representations of the primary attachment relationship are templates for future relationships.
explanations of attachment: learning theory
classical conditioning- caregiver associated with food. caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus
operant conditioning- crying behaviour reinforced positively for infant and negatively for caregiver
attachment as a secondary drive- attachment becomes a secondary drive through association with hunger
explanations of attachment: Bowlby's theory
monotropy- one particular attachment is different in quality and importance than others.
social releasers and the critical period-innate cute behaviors in the first two years.
internal working model- mental representation of the primary attachment relationship are templates for future relationships.
strange situation
cultural variations in attachment
Van Ljizendoorn- compared rates of attachment type in 8 different countries. found more variation within than between countries
Simonella et al- Italian attachemtn rates have changed, may be due to changing practices.
Jin et al- korean attachment rates similar to japan, could be due to similar child-rearing styles.
Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
separation vs deprivation- physical separation only leads to deprivation when the child loses emotional care
critical period- the first 30 months are critical and deprivation in that time causes damage
effects on development- Goldfarb: deprivation causes low IQ.
Bowlby: emotionless development e.g. affectionless psychopathy.
44 thieves study- many more affectionless psychopaths than controls had a prolonged separation.
roman orphans tudy
Rutters ERA study- 165 orphans adopted in Britain. some of those adopted later show low IQ and disinhibited attachment.
Bucharest early intervention study - random allocation to institutional care or fostering. secure attachment in 19% of institutional group versus 74% of controls
effects of institutionalisation- disinhibited attachment and delay in intellectual development if institutionalisation is prolonged
influence of early attachments on later relationships
internal working model- Bowlby's idea that the primary attachment relationship provides a template for later relationships
relationships in later childhood- kerns: securely attached children have better friendships.
Myron-Wilson and smith- securely attached children less likely to be involved in bullying
relationships with romantic partners- mcarthy: securely attached adults have better relationships with friends and parents
hazen and shaver: secure respondents had better and longer-lasting relationships, avoidant respondents had fear of intimacy
parental relationships- bailey et al: mothers attachment type matched that of their mothers and their babies
procedure; 7 stage controlled observation. asses proximity seeking, exploration and secure base, stranger and separation anxiety, response reuinion
findings; infants showed consistent patterns of attachment behaviour
types of attachment; secure- enthusiastic greeting, generally content. avoidant- avoids reuinion, generally reduced responses. resistant- resists reunion, generally more distressed
procedure- goslings saw Lorenz when they hatched.
findings- newly hatched chicks attach to the first moving thing they see. (imprinting)
sexual imprinting- adult birds try to mate with whatever species or objects they imprint on
procedure- baby monkeys given cloth or wire mother with feeding bottle attached
findings- monkeys clung to cloth surrogate rather than wire one, regardless of which dispensed milk.
maternally deprived monkeys- grew up socially dysfunctional.
the critical period- after 90 days attachments wouldn't form
aims- to investigate the age of formation and who attachments are formed with
method- mothers of 60 Glasgow babies reported monthly on separation anxiety
findings- most babies showed attachment to a primary caregiver by 32 weeks and developed multiple attachments soon after this