Attachment

• What is interactional synchrony?

  It is when a mother and infant reflect each other’s emotions and actions in a coordinated way.
• What are Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

  • Asocial
  • Indiscriminate
  • Specific
  • Multiple
• What roles of the father have been identified by research?


  • Fathers have a play and stimulation role (Grossman, 2002).
  • Fathers can be primary caregivers and adopt maternal behaviors (Tiffany Field, 1978).
• What is an internal working model?

  It is the mental representation a child has of their relationship with their primary caregiver.
• Why are internal working models important?

  They serve as models for future relationships, influencing how children form relationships later in life.
• What is a limitation of research into internal working models?


  Self-report methods are conscious, while internal working models are unconscious, making assessment difficult.
• What method is used to measure attachment type in children?

  Ainsworth’s strange situation.
• What behaviors does Ainsworth use to judge attachment?

  • Proximity seeking
  • Exploration & secure base behavior
  • Stranger anxiety
  • Separation anxiety
  • Response to reunion
• What are the episodes of the strange situation?

  1. Child & mother enter unfamiliar playroom.
  2. Child encouraged to explore.
  3. Stranger interacts with child.
  4. Mother leaves child with stranger.
  5. Mother returns, stranger leaves.
  6. Mother leaves.
  7. Stranger returns.
  8. Mother returns and reunites with child.
• What are the three attachment types identified by Ainsworth?

  • Secure attachment (Type B)
  • Insecure-avoidant (Type A)
  • Insecure-resistant (Type C)
• What personality traits are associated with an insecure-resistant child?

  They tend to develop a controlling and argumentative personality.
• What conclusion can be drawn from Harlow’s research?

  Monkeys have an innate need for contact and comfort, indicating attachment is about emotional security rather than food.
• What are the two laws of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

  • Law of continuity: Stronger attachment with more constant relationships.
  • Law of accumulated separation: No separation is ideal for secure attachments.
• What is imprinting?

  It is when a young animal recognizes another animal or person as a parent.
• What are two examples of cultural variation studies into attachments?

  • Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988): Meta-analysis of 32 studies in 8 countries on attachment types.
  • Simonella et al (2014): Italian study using the strange situation with 70 babies.
• What is maternal deprivation?

  It describes the emotional and intellectual consequences of separation between a child and their mother.
• What is a limitation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?

  Bowlby failed to distinguish between deprivation and privation, which Rutter argues is crucial.
• What are three effects of institutionalisation?

  • Poor peer interactions
  • Disinhibited attachment
  • Mental retardation
• What are social releasers?

  They are innate 'cute' behaviors like smiling and gripping that activate an adult's attachment system.
• What is the learning theory explanation of attachment?

  • Classical conditioning: Child associates mother with food and pleasure.
  • Operant conditioning: Positive reinforcement from feeding and negative reinforcement from stopping crying.