ATTACHMENT

• Define asocial

  Birth – 2 months

  Infants shows similar responses to objects and people.

  However, towards the end of the stage the infants start to show a preference for faces/eyes
• Define indiscriminate

  3 - 6 months

  Infant now preference for human company over non-human company but can be comforted by anyone.
• Define discriminate (specific)

  7 - 12 months

  Infant now shows an attachment to 1 caregiver, expressing joy upon reunion and is comforted by caregiver. Displays separation & stranger anxiety
• Define multiple

  One year onwards

  Infant can now show attachment to several people, this is known as secondary attachment which forms within the first month after the PCG is formed. The number of multiple attachments formed depends on the social circle in which the infant is exposed to.
• Briefly discuss one limitation of animal studies in attachment research (2m)

  There are issues with applying findings from animal research to humans. It is heavily debated amongst psychologists as to what extent studies of animals should be generalised to human population due to the apparent differences e.g. we are more cognitivly advanced, engage in more abstract thought.
• Briefly discuss one strength stranger situation as a measure of attachment (2m)

  Has high reliability, as the observations was conducted under controlled methods using a videotape, using predetermined behavioural categories = leading the findings to have high inter-observer reliability in which there was a 94% agreement on attachment classification was ensured as she had several observers watching & coding the same infant behaviours.
• Define Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment & State 5 key factors – acronym

  Bowlby’s monotrophic theory of attachment takes an evolutionary perspective, arguing that infants form an attachment to their caregiver to aid their survival.

  The 5 key factors from bowlby’s theory are: ASCMI = adaptive, social releasers, critical period, monotrophy and internal working model.
• Define adaptive

  Attachments are adaptive, gives humans an advantage, Adapters help aid children’s survival as caregivers make sure infants are kept warm, fed and safe.
• Define social releasers

  Infants poses social releasers, unlocks an innate tendency in adults (especially mothers) to care for them. Social releasers are physical (baby face – buttom nose, big eyes) and behavioural (cooing, crying to gain attention).
• Define critical period

  When an infant must form an attachment within 3 - 6 months after hatching. However Bowlby later discovered that attachments can be formed up to 3 years after birth. However, it is important that attachments occur around the initial period as if not, a child is damaged for life – socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically.
• Define monotrophy

  Is the fact that Bowlby believed infants form 1 intense, special attachment to a caregiver (usually mom). If no mother is available, infants will form an attachment with a mother substitute.
• Define IWM

  Lastly the internal working model formed through monotropy and is an internal template of future relationship expectations. Early strong = later strong, early negative = later negative.
• Give a strength + challenge

  POINT: The monotrophic theory is strengthened by Lorenz.

  
  

  EVIDENCE:The baby geese imprinted onto the first largest moving object after hatching to aid their survival within the critical period of 12-17 hours. This is innate as they had not time to learn this.

  
  

  EVALUATE: This supports the critical period and the fact that non-human animals have an innate tendency to attach to survive.

  
  

  CHALLENGE: However, developmental psychologists prefer the term sensitive period as attachments can sometimes form beyond the pre-thought window.
• Give a strength

  POINT: The monotrophic theory is also supported by Hazan & Shaver.

  
  

  EVIDENCE: They used s self-report questionnaire called the “Love Quiz” in examining the IWM. Discovered a positive correlation between early attachments and later adult relationships.

  
  

  EVALUATE: This provides support for IWM and the fact that early attachments do effect later adult relationships.
• Give a limitation

  POINT: There is an alternative point within monotrophic theory.

  
  

  EVIDENCE: A researcher brought forward the idea of temperament hypothesis in which an infant’s genetically inherited personality traits affect attachment formations. Infants contain different temperaments due to their biological makeup, as some children and easy and some difficult due to their biological makeup, causing the infants to form either a secure or insecure attachment.

  
  

  EVALUATE: Bowlby ignored the role of temperament hypothesis, choosing to focus on early attachment and quality of attachments.