Attachment

• Reciprocity 


  Both people respond to each other’s verbal and non-verbal cues, eliciting a response in each other.
• Interactional synchrony


  Temporary coordination of micro-level behaviour, when caregiver and infant mirror each others actions.
• Alert phase


  Infant signals when it’s ready for an interaction.
• Meltzoff and Moore


  Study investigating reciprocity in infant and caregiver interactions. Parents showed 1 of 3 expressions and the baby’s response was recorded.
• Asocial stage of attachment


  During the first few weeks of an infant’s life they behave similarly to objects and people but prefer familiar people.
• Indiscriminate stage of attachment 


  Around 2-7 months, infants start to recognise and prefer familiar people but still accept comfort from anyone, showing no separation/stranger anxiety.
• Specific stage of attachment


  Around 10 months, infants attach to one particular person (primary caregiver), who is their mother 65% of the time. They also show separation/stranger anxiety.
• Multiple attachment stage


  By age 1, babies form multiple attachments (secondary caregiver). 29% of children form a secondary attachment within a month of forming a primary attachment.
• Schaffer and Emerson (1964)


  Studied 60 infants and caregivers from working class Glasgow. They visited their homes every month and interviewed the mothers about separation behaviour, aiming to measure their attachment - they identified 4 stages of attachment.
• Schaffer and Emerson (role of the father)


  In 3% of cases the father was the primary caregiver but by 18 months, 75% had formed an attachment to their father.
• Grossman et al. (2002)


  Conducted a longitudinal study on attachments into teenage years and found that only their attachment to their mothers influenced quality of later attachments. However, they found that the quality of the father’s play with infant is important so they play a different role to mothers.
• Field (1978)


  Filmed 4 month old infants interacting with primary caregiver mothers and fathers and secondary caregiver fathers. They found that reciprocity and interactional synchrony was stronger with both primary caregivers, so fathers can provide an emotional attachment similar to a mother.
• Lorenz


  Studied imprinting behaviour in goslings - hatched with him so followed Lorenz, hatched with mother so followed mother, even when reunited with mother still followed Lorenz. Identified a critical period for imprinting - 3-20 hrs after birth, otherwise cannot form attachment.
• Harlow


  Studied orphaned baby rhesus monkeys by putting them in a cage with 2 wire mothers - one with milk and the other covered in cloth. Found that majority of time spent on cloth mum, even when scared by a mechanical toy. Identified a critical period for attachment of 90 days, otherwise leads to irreversible damage.
• Learning theory


  Also known as cupboard love theory, emphasises attachment to a food provider, through the process of classical conditioning. Before attachment, caregiver is the neutral stimulus but becomes the conditioned stimulus.
• Bowlby’s monotropic theory 


  Explanation for attachment emphasising attachment to 1 particular caregiver - this relationship is different and more important than other attachments.
• Law of continuity


  States that the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of attachment.
• Law of accumulated separation


  States that the effects of every separation from the primary caregiver add up.
• Social releasers


  Innate cute behaviours that encourage attention from adults to form an attachment.
• Sensitive period 


  Like the critical period for attachment, age 6 months to 2.5 years but can be extended to 5 years.
• Internal working model


  Suggests that a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary caregiver which serves as a model for their future relationships.
• Continuity hypothesis 


  Suggests that an internal working model is passed through generations.
• Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation


  The idea that continuous care from a mother is essential for normal psychological development in babies.
• Effects of maternal deprivation

  • Low IQ
  • Affectionless psychopathy
• Bowlby’s 44 thieves study

  • Interviewed teenagers accused of stealing for signs of affectionless psychopathy
  • Interviewed families to find out if they had any separations from caregivers
  • Psychopaths = 14/44
  • Prolonged separation = 12/44
• Rowan & Smith


  Studied the role of early attachment on childhood relationships. They used a questionnaire to assess attachment type and bullying behaviour in 200 children age 7-11 from schools in London. They found that those with a secure attachment were unlikely to be involved, those with insecure-avoidant likely to be victims and those with insecure-resistant likely to be bullies.
• Bailey et al


  Studied the role of early attachment on adult parental relationships. They assessed the attachment of 99 mothers to their babies using the strange situation and the mother’s attachment to their own mother (assessed using interview). They found that the majority had the same attachment to their children and own mother.
• Hazan & Shaver


  Studied the role of early attachment on adult romantic relationships. They used an American newspaper love quiz to assess attachment history and internal working model in 620 people. They found that those with a secure attachment type were most likely to have positive and lasting relationships. Those with insecure-avoidant attachment were likely to be jealous and have a fear of intimacy. Those with insecure-resistant attachment were likely to have issues maintaining relationships.
• Rutter et al (2011)

  • Conducted a longitudinal study on the effects of institutionalisation on 165 Romanian orphans adopted by UK families
  • Delayed intellectual development:
  • Adopted 0-6 months IQ= 102
  • Adopted 6 months to 2.5 years IQ= 86
  • Adopted after 2.5 years IQ= 77
  • Many displayed a disinhibited attachment
• Zeanah et al (2005)

  • Studied the effects of institutionalisation on 95 Romanian orphans who had spent the majority of their life in an orphanage.
  • Assessed attachment type using the strange situation
  • Found secure attachment =19% (74% control)
  • Disinhibited attachment =40% (20% control)
• Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)

  • Conducted a meta-analysis involving 2000 children across 32 studies in 8 countries using the strange situation to assess attachment type
  • Found that secure attachment was most common everywhere (75% in UK)
  • Insecure-avoidant: most common in Germany , least common in Japan
  • Insecure-resistant: most common in Israel, least common in UK
  • Results varied lots with countries
• Takahashi (1990)


  Assessed the attachment type of 60 babies from Japan using the strange situation. They found that: insecure-resistant = 32%, insecure-avoidant = 0% (could not assess properly as babies became severely distressed when alone), secure = 68%.
• Simonella (2014)


  Assessed the attachment type of 76 babies from Italy using the strange situation. They found that 50% secure (lower due to more mothers working full time) and 36% insecure-avoidant.