T3: 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 refers to a two-way bond 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.
• What did Brazleton et al. find regarding infants and reciprocity?

  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 infants?

  It teaches the child to communicate and helps parents detect cues from the baby.
• 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 children grow 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 in observations
  • 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 whether their actions are meaningful due to their limited motor coordination.
• What distinction did Bremner make regarding infant interactions?

  He distinguished 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 the development of attachment between infants and parents.
• How many babies participated in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  60 babies from Glasgow.
• What measures did Schaffer and Emerson use to track infant behaviors?

  • Separation Anxiety
  • Stranger Anxiety
  • Social Referencing
• What was the duration of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  It was a longitudinal study lasting 18 months.
• What did Schaffer and Emerson find about sensitive responsiveness in caregivers?

  Infants with caregivers 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 caregiver communicates and plays with the child rather than just feeding or cleaning them.

  
• What are the stages of attachment identified by Schaffer?

  1. Asocial stage (0-6 weeks)
  2. Indiscriminate attachments (6 weeks – 6 months)
  3. Specific attachments (7 months +)
  4. Multiple attachments (10/11 months +)
• What characterizes the asocial stage of attachment?


  Infants respond to objects and people similarly but may respond more to faces and eyes.
• What occurs during the indiscriminate attachments stage?

  Infants develop more responses to human company and can be comforted by anyone.
• What happens during the specific attachments stage?

  Infants begin to prefer one particular caregiver and show stranger and separation anxiety.
• What is characteristic of the multiple attachments stage?

  Infants form multiple attachments and may show separation anxiety for multiple people.
• What percentage of infants had 5 or more attachments by the end of Schaffer and Emerson's study?

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

  • Lacks population validity (all infants from Glasgow)
  • Small sample size (60 families)
  • Lack of temporal validity (parenting techniques have changed)
• What is a potential issue with the self-report method used in Schaffer and Emerson's study?

  The accuracy of data collection may be compromised due to busy parents and social desirability bias.
• What is the significance of the asocial stage in attachment studies?

  It cannot be studied objectively due to infants' lack of motor coordination.
• What did Bremner suggest about the asocial stage?

  Just because an interaction appears to be reciprocal does not mean the child understands it.
• What percentage of infants formed a secondary attachment to their father by 18 months according to Schaffer and Emerson?

  75% of the infants.
• What did Tiffany Field find regarding primary caregivers?

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

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

  Women are often expected to be more caring and sensitive due to societal norms.
• Why is research into primary attachment figures considered socially sensitive?

  It can lead to blaming parents for later developmental issues in children.
• What concept did Lorenz demonstrate in his studies?

  The concept of imprinting.
• What is imprinting according to Lorenz's studies?

  It is when animals attach to the first moving object or person they see after birth.
• What is the critical period for imprinting according to Lorenz?

  It usually occurs within the first 30 months of life.
• 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 Guiton et al. find regarding sexual imprinting?

  Chickens that imprinted on washing up gloves eventually learned to prefer to mate with other chickens.
• What did Harlow demonstrate about attachment in rhesus monkeys?

  Contact comfort was more important than food in the development of attachments.
• What were the developmental issues found in Harlow's infant monkeys?

  They were less skilled at mating, aggressive towards their own children, and socially reclusive.