attachment

• What is attachment defined as in the context of caregiver-infant interactions?

  A strong reciprocal emotional bond between an infant and a primary caregiver.
• What does reciprocity in attachment refer to?

  It refers to the two-way bonding process between the child and the caregiver.
• How does reciprocity manifest in caregiver-infant interactions?

  When a parent smiles at the child, the child smiles back.
• What did Brazleton et al. find regarding infants' ability to copy their caregivers?

  Children as young as 2 weeks old can attempt to copy their caregiver, who responds to the child's signals two-thirds of the time.
• Why is reciprocity important for communication between a child and caregiver?

  It teaches the child to communicate and helps the parent detect cues from the baby.
• What is interactional synchrony?

  It is when the infant and primary caregiver synchronize their interactions.
• How did Condon and Sander (1974) contribute to the understanding of interactional synchrony?

  They found that children can synchronize their movements with the sound of an adult's voice.
• What was the significance of the controlled observations used in studies of caregiver-infant interactions?

  They ensured a high level of detail and accuracy, allowing valid conclusions to be drawn.
• What is a major issue with observing very young children in attachment studies?

  We do not know whether their actions are meaningful due to their limited motor coordination.
• What distinction did Bremner make regarding infant interactions?

  He distinguished between behavioral response and behavioral understanding.
• What was the aim of Schaffer and Emerson's study (1964)?

  To identify stages of attachment and find a pattern in the development of attachment between infants and parents.
• How many babies participated in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  60 babies from Glasgow.
• What method did Schaffer and Emerson use to track infant behaviors?

  The mother kept a diary to track the infant's behaviors.
• What are the three measures used to assess attachment in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, and social referencing.
• What was the duration of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  It was a longitudinal study lasting 18 months.
• What did Schaffer and Emerson find about sensitive responsiveness in attachment formation?

  Infants formed more attachments with caregivers who were sensitive to their needs, regardless of time spent with them.
• What are the four stages of attachment identified by Schaffer?

  Asocial stage, indiscriminate attachments, specific attachments, and multiple attachments.
• What characterizes the asocial stage of attachment?

  The infant responds to objects and people similarly but may respond more to faces and eyes.
• What occurs during the indiscriminate attachments stage?

  The infant develops more responses to human company and can be comforted by anyone.
• What happens during the specific attachment stage?

  The infant begins to prefer one particular caregiver and shows stranger and separation anxiety.
• What is indicated by the multiple attachments stage?

  The infant forms multiple attachments and may show separation anxiety for several people.
• What percentage of infants had five or more attachments by the end of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  31% of the infants.
• What is a limitation of Schaffer and Emerson's study regarding population validity?

  All infants in the study came from Glasgow and were mostly from working-class families.
• What is a limitation of Schaffer’s stages of attachment regarding temporal validity?

  Parenting techniques have significantly changed since the 1950s, affecting attachment development.
• What is a potential issue with the self-report method used in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  The accuracy of data collection may be compromised due to busy parents and social desirability bias.
• What does Bremner's distinction between behavioral response and behavioral understanding imply?

  Just because an interaction appears reciprocal does not mean the child understands its significance.
• What percentage of infants formed a secondary attachment to their father by 18 months according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  75% of the infants.
• What did Tiffany Field find regarding primary caregivers?

  Primary caregivers, regardless of gender, were more attentive and spent more time with the infant.
• What did MacCallum and Golombok's study suggest about the role of the father in attachment?

  Children from homosexual or single-parent families were not different from those with heterosexual parents, suggesting the father's role is disputed.
• What societal factors influence the gender of the primary caregiver?

  Society expects women to be caring and sensitive, and biological factors also play a role.
• Why is research into primary attachment figures considered socially sensitive?

  Later developmental abnormalities are often blamed on the parent(s), leading to pressure on single parents.
• What concept did Lorenz demonstrate in his studies?

  The concept of imprinting.
• What is the critical period for imprinting according to Lorenz?

  The first 30 months of life.
• What did Lorenz's study with goose eggs demonstrate about imprinting?

  Half of the geese attached to and followed Lorenz after seeing him as the first moving person.
• What is sexual imprinting?

  It is when animals attach to and display sexual behaviors towards the first moving object they see after birth.
• What is a limitation of generalizing Lorenz's findings to mammals?

  Mammalian attachment systems differ from those of birds, allowing for attachments at any time during their lives.
• What did Guiton et al. demonstrate regarding sexual imprinting?

  Chickens that imprinted on washing up gloves eventually learned to prefer mating with other chickens.
• What did Harlow's research with rhesus monkeys demonstrate?

  The importance of contact comfort in attachment development.
• What did Harlow find when baby monkeys were scared?

  They sought comfort from the cloth-bound mother, regardless of which mother dispensed milk.
• What developmental issues were reported in infant monkeys raised with limited contact comfort?

  They were less skilled at mating, aggressive towards their own children, and socially reclusive.