attachment

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

  A reciprocal bond between parent and child
• What does reciprocity in attachment refer to?

  Interactional exchanges between mothers and infants
• What is interactional synchrony?

  Mirroring actions between mothers and infants
• How does high levels of synchrony affect attachment quality?

  It is linked with better quality attachment
• What is a limitation of studying caregiver-infant interactions?

  Infants may not attach meaning to gestures
• What enhances the validity of observations in caregiver-infant interactions?

  Well-controlled interactions studied systematically
• What did Schaffer and Emerson (1964) find about infant attachment?

  Infants attach to mothers first, then others
• What did Grossman (2002) conclude about father-child attachment?

  Father's role is less important than mother's
• How does the quality of father's play relate to attachment?

  It is related to the quality of attachment
• What did Field (1978) find about fathers as primary carers?

  Fathers act similarly to mothers in caregiving
• What is a limitation of findings on the role of fathers?

  Inconsistency in studies about father's roles
• What did MacCallum and Golombok (2004) find about children in single-parent families?

  They develop similarly to children in conventional families
• What is unknown about fathers as primary attachment figures?

  Reasons for their less frequent role in attachment
• What does 'stages of attachment' refer to?

  Changes in infant behavior as they age
• What was the aim of Schaffer & Emerson (1964)?

  To investigate the formation of early attachments
• How many babies were assessed in Schaffer & Emerson's study?

  60 babies were assessed
• What behaviors were mothers questioned about in Schaffer & Emerson's study?

  Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety
• At what age did around half of the babies show separation anxiety?

  Between 25-32 weeks
• What is specific attachment?

  Attachment primarily formed with the mother
• What did Schaffer & Emerson conclude about infant attachments?

  They develop through several stages
• What is a strength of Schaffer & Emerson's observational method?

  High external validity from natural behavior
• What is a limitation of Schaffer & Emerson's sample?

  Limited to one area and social background
• What aspect of Schaffer & Emerson's study increased internal validity?

  The longitudinal aspect of the study
• What is the first stage of attachment according to Schaffer & Emerson?

  Asocial stage
• What characterizes the asocial stage of attachment?

  Babies recognize carers but act similarly to objects
• What is the age range for the indiscriminate stage of attachment?

  2-7 months old
• What behaviors are shown in the specific stage of attachment?

  Stranger anxiety and separation anxiety
• At what age do babies typically form multiple attachments?

  By 1 year old
• What is a limitation of judging behavior in early attachment stages?

  Little observable behavior in very early stages
• What do some studies suggest about the formation of multiple attachments?

  They may form before a specific attachment
• What is a challenge in determining attachment to secondary figures?

  Separation anxiety does not confirm attachment
• What concept did Lorenz investigate in his studies?

  Imprinting in newly-hatched goslings
• What did Lorenz find about goslings and imprinting?

  They followed the first living creature seen
• What is the critical period in Lorenz's findings?

  Time frame for successful imprinting
• What did Guiton et al.'s study suggest about imprinting?

  Imprinting effects can be unlearned
• What did Harlow test in his studies?

  Contact comfort in attachment formation
• What did Harlow find about baby monkeys and comfort?

  They preferred the cloth mother for comfort
• What lifelong consequences did Harlow find in monkeys?

  Social dysfunction and poor parenting skills
• What is the critical period for attachment in Harlow's study?

  90 days for monkeys
• What are the implications of Harlow's research on attachment?

  Comfort is more important than food