Psychology- Attachment

• Attachment

  A strong 2 way emotional bond between the caregiver and the infant.
• Reciprocity


  Description of how to people interact. Mother-infant interaction is reciprocal in that both infant and mother respond to each other's signals and each elicits a response from the other.
• Interactional Synchrony


  Mother and infant both the actions and emotions of each other in a co-ordinated way.
• Stages of attachment


  Many developmental theories identify a sequence of qualitatively different behaviours linked to specific ages. In stages of attachment some characteristics of the infant's behaviour towards others change as the infant gets older.
• Separation Anxiety

  An infants response to when the infant is separated from the main caregiver.
• Stranger Anxiety


  An infants response to when a stranger interacts with an infant.
• Secondary attachments


  Attachments formed by the infant with other people they see regularly.
• Animal Studies


  Studies carried out on non-human animal species rather than on humans, either for ethical or practical reasons.
• Imprinting


  Rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period, typically soon after birth or hatching, and establishes a long-lasting behavioural response to a specific individual or object, as attachment to parent, offspring, or site.
• Maternal Deprivation


  The emotional and intellectual consequences of separation between a child and his/her mother of mother substitute. Bowlby proposed that continuous care from a mother is essential for normal psychological development, and that prolonged separation from this adult causes serious damage to emotional and intellectual development.
• Learning Theory


  A set of theories from the behaviourist approach to psychology, that emphasises the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour. Explanations of learning include classical and operant condition.
• Classical conditioning

  A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

  
• Operant Conditioning


  Operant conditioning involves learning through the consequences of behavioural responses.

  
• Drive Reduction


  According to this theory, some physiological need (need for water) occurs that creates a state of tension (you feel thirsty) which in turn motivates you to reduce the tension or satisfy the need (drink water).
• Primary Drive

  Hunger, cold; discomfort motivates the infant to find comfort, food and warmth; primary reinforces.
• Secondary Drive


  Is the attachment which the infant has formed to the caregiver due to the need to be supplied with primary reinforces.
• Secondary reinforcer

  Caregiver supplying the comfort; primary reinforces.
• Monotropic

  Term used to describe Bowlby's Theory. Mono means ones and indicates that one attachment is different from all others and of central importance to the child's development.
• Internal Working Models

  Mental schema of our attachment to our primary caregiver.
• Critical Period


  The time within which the monotropic attachment must be formed. 2 1/2 - 3 years old.

  Sensitive period: it is easier to form attachment, it is harder after but possible.
• Evolutionary Theory (Adaptive)


  An infant which forms a monotropic attachment is more likely to survive. Any trait related to this attachment will be naturally selected, they are called adaptive traits. Innate system to help us survive.
• Innate


  We are born with the need to form attachments in order to survive.
• Social Releasers


  Cute baby traits which attract adults to care for them. Unlock adult's attachment system.
• Ethology


  The study of animal behaviour.
• Lorenz's Research

  Method: Field Experiment

  IV: who the ducklings would follow (him or mother).

  Procedure: control group - normal procedure of seeing mother first. Experimental group - saw Lorenz first.

  Findings: imprinting is innate and causes them to imprint on the first moving thing they see.
• Harlow's Research

  Aim: to study the basis of attachment.

  Method: lab experiment.

  Sample: 16 baby resus monkeys.

  Procedure: he put monkeys in cages with 2 monkey mothers; one cloth mum (tactile comfort) and one wire mum which had milk.

  Findings: baby monkeys prefered cloth mum - contact comfort more important than food when it comes to attachment.

  Contradicst the learning theory of Cupboard love of miller
• Strange Situation

  A controlled observation used to measure infant's attachment types. This is measure based on 7 situations, which test the infant's response to:

  Proximity seeking

  Exploration and secure-base behaviour

  Stranger anxiety

  Separation anxiety

  Response at reunion.
• Secure attachment (Type B)


  Feel free to explore but check in at base regularly. They seek proximity moderately.

  Demonstrate moderate stranger and separation anxiety.

  Easily comforted at reunion.
• Insecure-avoidant (Type A)


  Don't seek any proximity.

  Explore freely without going back to secure base.

  Demonstrate low stranger and separation anxiety.

  Avoid comfort at reunion, little reaction.
• Insecure-resistant (Type C)


  Clingy, seeking high proximity.

  Don't explore.

  Demonstrate high stranger and separation anxiety.

  Aren't easily comforted at reunion, resist comforting.
• Cultural Variations


  Differences of norms and values in different groups (cultures). In attachment the difference in attachment types in different cultures measure with the Strange Situation.
• Cultural Variations of Attachment Types Stats.

  Britain: 70% securely attached (highest).

  Israel: 30% insecure-resistant (highest) - as a result of being raised in a Kibbutz (communal living).

  Germany: 30% insecure-avoidant - value independence.

  China: 50% secure (lowest).
• van IJzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)


  Aim: to look at the different proportions of attachment types in different cultures.

  Meta-analysis of 32 studies across 8 different countries, 15 of which in the USA.

  Attachment was measure with the strange situation.

  Sample: 2000 children.

  Findings: wide variation, insecure-resistant least common across all countries, secure most popular.
• Institutionalisation


  The effects of living in an institutional setting. Orphanage where children live for long, continuous periods of time with little emotional care. Effects on attachment and development.
• Orphan studies

  A means of studying the effects of institutionalisation and maternal deprivation.
• Background of the Romanian Orphan Studies

  In Romania in the 1990's the President forced all women to have 5 children to increase the work force. Most families couldn't afford to sustain 5 so had to send them to orphanages.
• Childhood relationships

  Affiliations with other people during childhood: friends/adults/teachers.
• Adult relationships

  Later life relationships: friendships/romantic partners/children/work relationships.
• Wilson & Smith (Bullying)


  Questionnaire, 196 7-11 years olds in London

  Secure - not involved in bullying

  Insecure-avoidant - victims

  Insecure-resistant - bullies
• Hazan & Shaver (Love Quiz)

  Love Quiz in USA Newspaper, 620 adults.

  Correlation between attachment type and adult relationships.

  Secure - long lasting.

  Insecure - lack of intimacy