attachment

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


  A strong reciprocal emotional bond between an infant and a primary caregiver
• What does reciprocity mean in caregiver-infant interactions?

  It means both the child and caregiver must bond and respond to each other
• How does reciprocity manifest in caregiver-infant interactions?

  When a parent smiles at the child, the child smiles back
• What did Brazleton et al. find regarding infants and reciprocity?

  Children as young as 2 weeks old can attempt to copy their caregiver
• Why is reciprocity important for communication between caregiver and infant?

  It helps the child learn to communicate and allows the caregiver to respond to cues
• What is interactional synchrony?


  When the infant and primary caregiver synchronize their interactions
• What did Condon and Sander (1974) find about infants and adult voices?


  Children can synchronize their movements with the sound of an adult's voice
• How does interactional synchrony affect communication as the child grows older?

  It leads to better communication between the parent and child when the child is older
• What are the advantages of using controlled observations in studies of caregiver-infant interactions?

  • High level of detail and accuracy
  • Valid conclusions can be drawn
  • Inter-rater reliability can be established
• What is a major issue with observing very young children in studies?

  We do not know if their actions are meaningful due to limited motor coordination
• What distinction did Bremner make regarding infant interactions?

  Between behavioral response and behavioral understanding
• What was the aim of Schaffer and Emerson's study (1964)?

  To identify stages of attachment and find a pattern in attachment development
• How many babies participated in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  60 babies
• What method did Schaffer and Emerson use to gather data?

  They analyzed interactions and interviewed caregivers
• What measures did the mothers track in their diaries during the study?

  Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, and social referencing
• How long did the Schaffer and Emerson study last?

  18 months
• What did Schaffer and Emerson find about sensitive responsiveness?

  It was more important for forming attachments than the amount of time spent with the baby
• How did the quality of interaction affect attachment intensity according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  More interaction led to more intense attachments
• What are the stages of attachment identified by Schaffer?

  Asocial stage, indiscriminate attachments, specific attachments, and multiple attachments

  
• What characterizes the asocial stage of attachment?

  Infants respond similarly to objects and people, but may prefer faces
• What happens during the indiscriminate attachments stage?

  Infants develop more responses to human company and can be comforted by anyone
• At what age do infants typically show specific attachments?

  7 months and older
• What characterizes the multiple attachments stage?

  Infants form multiple attachments and may show separation anxiety for several people
• What percentage of infants had five or more attachments by the end of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  31%
• What are the limitations of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  • Lacks population validity (all infants from Glasgow)
  • Small sample size (60 families)
  • Parenting techniques have changed since the 1950s
  • May lack internal validity due to self-report methods
• What did MacCallum and Golombok find regarding children in different family structures?

  Children in homosexual or single-parent families were not different from those with heterosexual parents
• What societal factors influence the role of the primary caregiver?

  Expectations of women to be caring and sensitive, and biological differences in hormones
• Why is research into primary attachment figures considered socially sensitive?

  It can lead to blame for later developmental issues on the parent(s)
• What concept did Lorenz demonstrate in his studies?


  Imprinting
• What is the critical period for imprinting according to Lorenz?

  The first 30 months of life
• What did Lorenz's study with goose eggs demonstrate about imprinting?

  Half of the geese attached to Lorenz after seeing him as the first moving object
• What is sexual imprinting?


  When animals attach to and display sexual behaviors towards the first moving object they see
• What did Guiton et al. find regarding sexual imprinting?

  Chickens imprinted on washing up gloves eventually preferred to mate with other chickens
• What did Harlow's research demonstrate about contact comfort?


  Contact comfort is more important than food in the development of attachments
• What developmental issues did Harlow find in infant monkeys?


  They were less skilled at mating and socially reclusive
• What are the ethical concerns regarding Harlow's research?


  • Long-term psychological harm to monkeys
  • Difficulties in mating and forming secure attachments
  • Need for a cost-benefit analysis of ethical costs vs. research benefits
• What does the Learning Theory of Attachment propose?

  Children learn to form attachments through experiences, classical and operant conditioning
• What is 'cupboard love' in the context of attachment?

  Forming attachments to the person providing food
• How does classical conditioning contribute to attachment formation?

  The baby associates the mother with the pleasure of being fed
• What is the role of operant conditioning in attachment formation?

  Crying triggers a response from the mother, reinforcing the behavior