Attachment

• What is attachment?

  Emotional bond between individuals. In humans, it takes a few months to develop.
• What are the three characteristics of attachment?

  • Proximity - staying close to the attachment figure
  • Separation distress, anxiety - anxiety when separated from attachment figure
  • Secure base behaviour - infants regularly returned to the attachment figure while playing
• What is reciprocity?

  A two way or mutual interaction between caregiver and child. The idea that the mother and child are involved in a two-way communication. Both are active contributors and each can produce a response from the other. For example, a mother smiles, and her baby smiles back.
• What are meant by alert phases that babies have?

  It is where they signal, for example, making eye contact that they are ready for interaction. Mothers typically pick up on and respond to the babies alertness around 2/3 of the time, although this varies according to the skill of the mother and external factors such as stress. Around three months this interaction becomes increasingly frequent and both mother and baby pay closer attention to each others, verbal signals and facial expressions.
• What is meant by active involvement?

  Were both caregiver and baby can initiate interactions and they take doing so
• What is interactional Synchrony?

  The simultaneous coordinated sequence of movements, communications or emotions. For example, a baby might move ahead in time with her mother. Infants seem to coordinate their movements and gestures in time with adult speech. Caregiver and infant signal synchronise so they occur together or mirrored
• Give a research on Interactional Synchrony:

  Meltzoff and Moore filmed two week old babies responses to an adult making facial expressions. Babies expressions mirrored the adults. Mimicking is a feature of attachment.
• Give a piece of research which shows the importance of attachment

  Isabella et al - 30 mother, baby pairs, observed, and assessed put into actual synchrony and quality of attachment

  High levels of synchrony = better quality, mother, baby attachment
• ACCEPTING evaluation of attachment: Lab Studies

  Interactions are usually filmed in a laboratory. This means that the other activity that might distract a baby can be controlled. It is unlikely that researchers will miss seeing key behaviours. Filming interactions means that more than one observer can record the data and establish the reliability of observations. Babies do not know they are being observed, so their behaviour does not change in response to the observation. Therefore data will have a good reliability and validity.
• REJECTING evaluation of attachment: the infants intention is difficult to determine and difficulty observing babies

  Young babies, lack coordination and they are immobile. The movements being observed are just small hand movements are subtle changes in expression. It is difficult to determine what is taking place. Is it smiling, or just passing wind? We also do not know if a hand movement is random or triggered by something that caregiver has done. This means we cannot be certain that the behaviours seen in a caregiver-infant interaction have a special meaning
• REJECTING evaluation of attachment: the purpose of synchrony and reciprocity in attachment is difficult to discern

  Observing behaviours does not tell us its development importance. Although these behaviours can be reliably observed, they might not be useful in understanding child development because it does not tell us the purpose of these behaviours.
• ACCEPTING evaluation of attachment: research support

  Isabella et Al found a relationship between increased international synchrony and good quality attachment
• ACCEPTING evaluation of attachment: Practical Applications

  A research found that a 10 minute Parent child therapy improved interactional, synchrony in 20 low income, mothers, and their preschool children
• How might caregiver-infant interaction affect the development of attachment?

  The interaction is reinforcing for both parties and successful interactions lead to increase interactions and successful interactions for the basis for a good quality attachment, which can influence future social development relationships.

  BUT we cannot ethically manipulate the amount of quality of a caregiver infant interactions. Also, there are many extraneous variables such as home, environment, substitute, care, culture, et cetera
• (Stages of attachment). Asocial

  From birth to 2 months. An infant shows similar responses to objects and people. Although towards the end of the stage, they display a preference for faces./eyes
• (Stages of attachment) Indiscriminate Attachments

  From 2 to 6 months. An infant now shows a preference for human company over non-human company. They can distinguish between different people, but are comforted in discriminately by anyone and do not show stranger anxiety yet.
• (Stages of attachment) Discriminate specific attachments

  From 7 to 12 months. An infant shows a preference for one caregiver, displaying separation and stranger anxiety. The infant looks to a particular person for security and protection. The infant shows joy upon reunion and are comforted by their primary caregiver.
• (Stages of attachment) Multiple attachments

  One year onwards. Attachment behaviours are now displayed toward several different people and are sometimes referred to a second attachments
• Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow Infants : Procedure

  60. Babies from working class, families in Glasgow were visited by the researcher in their homes every month for the first year and then again at 18 months. The researcher asked the mothers questions about how their babies reacted in every day separations, for example, an adult, leaving the room and babies response to unfamiliar people.

  They found most babies, attached them with the first and then 75 % of them attached to their father by 18 months
• Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow Infants : what did the results show?

  Attachments were most likely to form with those who responded sensitively to the baby signals, not the person they spent more time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this sensitive responsiveness. Securely attached infants had mothers, who responded quickly to their demands and interacted with their child. Infants who are weekly attached had mothers, who failed to interact.
• STRENGTH of Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow Infants : Good External Validity

  Most of the observations were made by parents during ordinary activities, and then reported to the researchers. Is better than having the researchers see the observations, because that might have distracted the babies or made them feel more anxious. Therefore, it is highly likely that the babies behaved naturally while being observed.
• WEAKNESS of Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow Infants : Poor evidence for the asocial stage

  Young babies have poor coordination and not in mobile if babies younger than two months, pelt, anxiety, and everyday situations, they may have displayed this in quite subtle hard to observe ways, making it difficult for mothers to make any judgements about them based on observations of their behaviour
• STRENGTH of Schaffer and Emerson Glasgow Infants : They have practical application

  practical application in daycare, for example nurseries, where babies are cared for outside of the family home by a non-family adults. The first couple of stages daycare is likely to be straightforward because babies can be comforted by anyone. However, starting daycare with an unfamiliar adult might be problematic during the specific attachment stage so this knowledge allows parents to plan their use of daycare.
• What do Schaffer and Emerson say about the role of the father?

  Fathers are much less likely to become babies, first attachment figure. Most babies become attached to mothers at seven months. Only 3% of cases was the father the first sole attachment figure. 75% of infants studies had formed an attachment with the father at 18 months, showing the father can be an important attachment figure.
• (Role of Father - Playmate) research shows that the father may fulfil a different role from the mother, but this is just as crucial to the childs well-being

  Fathers role as playmate versus mothers role as emotional support.

  • Geiger found that the father’s interactions were more exciting compared to mothers. Mothers play interactions with more affectionate and nurturing.

  The role of the father is different to the role of the mother
• (Role of Father - Playmate) Research shows that quality of adolescent attachment to a father is the related to Fathers play with infants

  • Grossman said the quality of mother-child attachment was important when testing the quality of attachment into adolescence. It helped predict a child future attachments and relationships. If a child had a good attachment with the mother, then they would have a good attachment in the future. He found that this was not the case for father-child attachment, it was not a good predictor of future attachment
  • role of father less important
• (Role of Father - Caregiver). Research shows that the father in a single parent family is more likely to adopt the traditional maternal role.

  • Field did a study with four month old babies were filmed with primary care, mother secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers
  • Primary caregiver fathers like primary care, mothers spent more time, smiling imitating and holding babies than secondary caregiver fathers
  • This research supports that farthest can be the primary attachment figure. Gender of the parent is less important than responsiveness.
• (Role of Father ) the research suggest that further conform, secure attachments with their children if they are in an intimate marriage

  Research supports that males with higher levels of marital intimacy had secure attachments with their children as males with lower levels of marital intimacy had insecure attachments. Males conform, secure attachments with their children, but the strength of that attachment depends on the mother and father relationship.
• (Role of Father ) role of the father may differ, depending on the gender of the child

  Research suggest that male children are more likely to prefer their father as an attachment figure than female children. Children are more likely to be attached their father during late childhood and early adolescence. Father is less likely to be involved with a baby if the baby has a difficult attitude therefore, the gender of the child influences the role of the father.
• Rejecting evaluation of Role of The Father - Confusion over research questions

  Some research suggest the father has a completely different role to the mother. The question of the role of the father is complex. Some research looks at the father as a primary attachment figure and others as a secondary attachment figure. (Having a different role to the mother.) there is inconsistency in the research as the role of the father, and whether he plays a distinct role.
• Rejecting evaluation of Role of The Father - Conflicting evidence

  Research investigating that effects of growing up in a single or same-sex parent families shows there is no effect and development. Children growing up in a single parent or same-sex parent. Families do not develop differently which suggest that the role of the father is not important.
• Accepting evaluation of Role of The Father - Real world application

  Advice can be offered to parents. Parents may worry about who should take the primary caregiver role. Mother may feel pressured to stay at home because of stereotypical views of roles, but this might not be the best decision for that family economically.

  Fathers can be the PCG and this does not affect development
• (Animal Studies) Procedure of Lorenz imprinting

  Lorenz, randomly divided goose eggs. Half hatched an incubator were the first thing they saw was Lorenz. Half hatched with their mother. Once hatched, two groups were mixed up, and Lorenz observed who they followed. Behaviour of all goslings was recorded
• (Animal Studies) Findings of Lorenz imprinting

  Incubator group followed Lorenz

  Controlled group followed their mother

  Showed that the geese imprinted on the first thing they saw

  • critical period in which imprinting takes place, was a few hours after hatching
  • Imprinting is instinctive it is a pre-programmed behaviour
  • It increases chances of survival
• (Animal studies) What did Lorenz find about sexual imprinting?

  That imprinted on humans displayed courtship behaviour towards humans.

  • Lines studied Peacock, born in a reptile house displayed courtship behaviour towards giant tortoises. - sexual imprinting
• What research support Lorenz’s imprinting?

  Regaling and Vallortigara exposed chicks to simple shape, combinations that move such as a triangle with a rectangle in front. Several shape combinations were removed in front of them and they followed the original. This supports animals imprint on a moving object.
• (Animal Studies) Rejecting evaluation of Lorenz imprinting: generalisability to humans

  It might not be appropriate to generalise Lorenza findings from geese to humans. The mammalian attachment is more complex. These birds are not mammals whereas humans are. In mammals attachment, it’s a two-way process, the young attach their mothers, but also mothers attached their young. What applies to non-human species might not also apply to human infants, so it might not be appropriate to generalise these findings to other humans.
• (Animal Studies) Rejecting evaluation of Lorenz imprinting: Some of Lorenz’ observations have been questioned

  Lorenz’S conclusions may be wrong

  Imprinting has a permanent effect on meeting behaviour - sexual imprinting

  Research, however, showed that chickens that imprinted on yellow washing gloves try to meet with them as adults, but with experience they learn to prefer meeting with other chickens . It showed that the effect of imprinting might not be permanent and it can be reversed.
• (Animal studies) Harlow’s Monkeys Procedure:

  In a controlled environment, Harlow separated eight infant monkeys from their mothers immediately after birth, and kept them in isolation

  The monkeys were with two mother surrogates

  • Wired mother, dispensing food
  • A cloth mother with no food
  • Time spent with each mother was recorded
  • Long-term effects were recorded
• (Animal Studies) Harlow’s monkeys Findings:

  Infant monkeys spent most of the time with the cloth mother and only went to the wire mother for food, but they were returned to the cloth when frightened.

  • They were attached to class, mother not to the mother. Contact comfort was more important than food attachment.