Development of attachment

• What is attachment?

  An enduring, two-way, emotional tie to a specific person
• What different ways are attachments developed?

  • Interactional synchrony
  • Reciprocity
  • Bodily contact
  • Caregiverese
  • Mimicking
• What is interactional synchrony?


  When an infant mirrors the actions of another person
• What is some research for interactional synchrony?

  Condon and Sander (1974) - recordings show infants co-ordinating movements to form a turn-taking ‘conversation’ with caregiver
• What is reciprocity?


  Mutual exchange of support, care and love
• What is some research supporting reciprocity?

  Jaffe et al - From birth, babies move in a rhythm when interacting with an adult, like a conversation
• What is bodily contact?

  Skin to skin or through cuddles
• What is some research supporting bodily contact?

  Klaus and Kennel - mums who have extended contact cuddle their babies more, suggesting greater contact makes stronger bonds
• What is mimicking?

  When the infant copies the actions of the caregiver
• What is some research supporting mimicking?

  Mezloff and Moore - infants ages 2-3 weeks mimicked adults faces and movements, showing mimicry is innate and helps form attachments
• What is caregiverese?


  A modified voice that adults use to speak to babies
• What is some research supporting caregiverese?

  Papousek et al - Caregiverese is cross-cultural, showing it aids in attachments
• What are some applications of bodily contact?

  Hospitals encourage skin to skin after birth
• What is a limitation of caregiverese?


  All adults use this for children, so it can’t be claimed to form all attachments
• What is an issue with interactional synchrony?

  Not found in all cultures therefore not necessary for attachment
• What are Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

  > Asocial

  > Indiscriminate attachment

  > Specific attachment

  > Multiple attachments
• What is the asocial stage?


  Infant behaviour is directed at anything with a positive reaction
• What is the indiscriminate stage?


  Infants prefer people to objects, but not one specific person
• What is the specific attachment stage?

  Infants prefer particular caregivers to look after them
• What is the multiple attachment stage?


  Infants can have multiple attachments to people in their lives like grandparents, siblings
• How did Schaffer and Emerson find their stages?


  Studied 60 Glaswegian for 18 months of their lives in their own homes. Mother kept a diary when Schaffer and Emerson weren’t there
• What are the issues with Schaffer’s study?

  • Small sample size
  • Diaries may have demand characterises
  • Lacks historical validity