attachment

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


  A strong reciprocal emotional bond between an infant and a primary caregiver.
• What does reciprocity in attachment refer to?

  It refers to the two-way bonding process where both the child and caregiver contribute to the relationship.
• How does reciprocity manifest in caregiver-infant interactions?

  When a parent smiles at the child, the child smiles back, demonstrating mutual responses.
• What did Brazleton et al. find regarding infants' ability to copy their caregivers?

  Children as young as 2 weeks old can attempt to copy their caregiver, who responds to the child's signals two-thirds of the time.
• Why is reciprocity important for communication between infants and caregivers?

  It teaches the child to communicate and helps the parent detect cues from the baby to respond to their needs effectively.
• What is interactional synchrony?


  It is when the infant and primary caregiver become synchronized in 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 is a limitation of studies on caregiver-infant interactions?

  We do not know whether the actions of infants are meaningful, especially since young infants have little or no motor coordination.
• What distinction did Bremner make regarding infant interactions?

  He distinguished between behavioral response and behavioral understanding, indicating that reciprocal interactions may not imply understanding.

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

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

  60 babies from Glasgow.
• What methods did Schaffer and Emerson use to gather data?

  They analyzed interactions between infants and carers, interviewed the carers, and had mothers keep diaries of infant behaviors.
• What measures did 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?

  Infants with parents who were more sensitive to their signals were more likely to form attachments.
• How did the amount of time spent with the infant relate to attachment formation according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  Sensitive responsiveness was more important than the amount of time spent with the baby.
• What did Schaffer and Emerson conclude about the nature of attachment formation?

  Attachments formed when the carer communicates and plays with the child rather than just feeding or cleaning them.

  
• What are the stages of attachment identified by Schaffer and Emerson?

  • Pre-attachment stage (0-6 weeks): Responds similarly to objects and people.
  • Indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks – 6 months): Develops responses to human company, comforted by anyone.
  • Discriminate (7 months +): Prefers one carer, shows stranger and separation anxiety.
  • Multiple (10/11 months +): Forms multiple attachments, may show separation anxiety for multiple people.

  
• What percentage of infants formed a secondary attachment to their father by 18 months according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  75%
• What did Tiffany Field find regarding primary caregivers?

  Primary caregivers, regardless of gender, were more attentive towards the infant and spent more time holding and smiling at them.
• What did MacCallum and Golombok demonstrate about children in different family structures?

  Children from homosexual or single-parent families were not different compared to children with two heterosexual parents.

  
• What societal factors influence the role of the primary caregiver?

  Society expects women to be more caring and sensitive, and biological factors also play a role.
• Why is research into primary attachment figures considered socially sensitive?

  It can lead to blaming parents for later developmental abnormalities in children.
• 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 and followed Lorenz after seeing him as the first moving person after birth.
• What is sexual imprinting?

  It is when animals attach to and display sexual behaviors towards the first moving object or animal they see after birth.
• What did Harlow's research demonstrate about contact comfort?


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

  Infant monkeys were less skilled at mating, aggressive towards their own children, and socially reclusive.
• What practical value does Harlow's research have?

  It informs the design of zoos and the care of animals in shelters by emphasizing the importance of attachment figures and intellectual stimulation.
• What ethical issues were raised by Harlow's research?


  Long-term psychological harm was inflicted upon the monkeys, affecting their ability to form secure attachments.
• What is the Learning Theory of Attachment based on?

  It views children as being born with blank slates, learning to form attachments through experiences, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning.
• What is the concept of 'cupboard love' in attachment theory?

  It is the idea that attachments are formed to the person providing food, as hunger is a primary drive.
• How does classical conditioning contribute to attachment formation?

  The baby forms an association between the mother and the pleasure of being fed, leading to the mother becoming a conditioned stimulus.
• How does operant conditioning reinforce attachment behaviors?

  Crying triggers a response from the mother, reinforcing the behavior as the child associates the mother with rewards like comfort and food.
• What contradictory evidence challenges the Learning Theory of Attachment?

  Harlow's research showed that contact comfort was more important than food in attachment development.
• What key terms are associated with the Learning Theory of Attachment?

  Stimulus, response, and innate.
• What is Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory of Attachment?

  Bowlby’s theory suggests that infants form one primary attachment figure, which is crucial for their development.Bowlby argues that infants have an innate drive to form an especially strong attachment to their mother (monotropy) and stay in close proximity.

  this is VITAL to an infants survival.
• How does Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory differ from Learning Theory?

  Bowlby emphasizes the importance of a primary attachment figure, while Learning Theory focuses on learned behaviors through conditioning.