attachment

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

  A strong, enduring emotional bond
• How does an infant feel in the presence of their attachment figure?

  They feel more secure and seek closeness
• What are the key components of caregiver-infant interactions?

  • Reciprocity: mutual responses between caregiver and infant
  • Interactional synchrony: synchronized behaviors during interactions
• What is reciprocity in attachment development?

  A two-way mutual process involving turn-taking
• How does the behavior of each party in attachment influence development?

  It influences physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological growth
• What can negative reciprocal processes contribute to?

  An attachment that is not advantageous
• What did Tronick (1979) demonstrate about infant expectations?

  Infants expect appropriate responses to their smiles
• What is interactional synchrony?

  • Theory of social communication
  • Behaviors of individuals become synchronized
  • Results in mutual behavior and responses
• What did Belsky & Russell (1998) observe in secure attachment dyads?

  Interactions were well-timed and mutually rewarding
• How were insecure attachment dyads characterized in Belsky & Russell's study?

  Minimal involvement and unresponsiveness from mothers
• What did Meltzoff and Moore (1997) study in infants?

  Imitation of facial and manual gestures
• What was the age range of infants in Meltzoff and Moore's study?

  12-21 days old
• What did Meltzoff and Moore conclude about imitation in infants?

  It is an important building block for development
• What is a strength of controlled observations in infant studies?

  They capture fine details of behavior
• What is a weakness of observing infants in research?

  Uncertainty about the meaning of observed behaviors
• What are the characteristics of attachment in infancy?

  • Selective: involves specific individuals
  • Proximity-seeking: desire to be near attachment figures
  • Provides comfort and security
  • Leads to separation anxiety
• What are the four stages of attachment according to Schaffer & Emerson?

  1. Asocial stage (birth - 6 weeks)
  2. Indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks - 7 months)
  3. Specific attachment (from 7 months)
  4. Multiple attachments (10-11 months onwards)
• What is the asocial stage of attachment?

  Infants do not recognize individual people
• What happens during the indiscriminate attachments stage?

  Infants show preference for people but no stranger anxiety
• What characterizes the specific attachment stage?

  Preference for one caregiver and separation anxiety
• What occurs during the multiple attachments stage?

  Infants show attachment behaviors towards several people
• What is a problem with studying the asocial stage of attachment?

  Infants have poor coordination and are immobile
• What did Cernoch & Porter (1977) demonstrate about infants?

  Infants can recognize their mother's scent
• What is a criticism of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

  Evidence may be based on flawed methodology
• What did Bowlby suggest about primary attachment relationships?

  • Vital for healthy psychological development
  • Monotropy: single primary attachment is crucial
• What did Schaffer and Emerson find about separation anxiety?

  50% of babies showed signs by 25-32 weeks
• What is sensitive responsiveness according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  Accurate responses to the baby's signals
• What is a weakness of assessing multiple attachments?

  Distress does not confirm true attachment figures
• What did MacCallum and Golombok (2004) find about children without fathers?

  They show few differences in development
• What are the roles of fathers in attachment?

  • Less likely to be primary attachment figures
  • Important role in child development
  • Often act as playmates rather than caregivers
• What did Field (1978) find about primary caregiver fathers?

  They engage similarly to mothers in interactions
• How do fathers typically differ from mothers in play?

  Fathers' play is more physical and exciting
• What did Verissimo et al (2011) find about father-child relationships?

  Quality of father relationships correlates with preschool popularity
• What is a criticism of the father's role in attachment?

  Research does not explain differences in development
• What is the ethical dilemma in studying attachment in humans?

  • Cannot disrupt attachment figures
  • Ethical concerns limit experimental designs
• What are the two subsets of animals in attachment studies?

  • Precocial animals: developed at birth
  • Altricial animals: develop after birth
• What policy change occurred in 2015 regarding parental leave?

  Fathers may now share parental leave.
• What are the two subsets of animals based on attachment formation?

  • Precocial animals: Born late in development, can walk and feed themselves.
  • Altricial animals: Born helpless, rely on parents for care.
• What behavior do precocial species exhibit?

  Following behavior towards their mothers.
• How do altricial species, like humans, signal for attention?

  Through social releasers like crying.