“Attachment Theory”

Harlow's Monkey Study:
An infant monkey is given two surrogate mothers. One is made of bare wire and provides milk, while the other is covered in soft cloth but provides no food. The monkey spends most of its time with the cloth mother. What does this finding demonstrate?

 Attachment is strongly influenced by contact comfort

Harlow's Monkey Study:
A loud mechanical object frightens an infant monkey. The monkey immediately runs to the soft cloth surrogate mother and clings to her before eventually returning to explore. What does this behavior demonstrate?

The surrogate mother is functioning as a safe base

Ainsworth: Attachment theory
During the Strange Situation, a child becomes upset when their mother leaves. When she returns, the child seeks physical contact, calms down quickly, and then returns to playing. What attachment style does this demonstrate?

Secure

Ainsworth: Attachment
A child becomes extremely distressed when their mother leaves. When she returns, the child reaches for her but then pushes her away angrily and has difficulty calming down. What attachment style is this?

Ambivalent (resistant)

Ainsworth: Attachment
During the Strange Situation, a child shows little distress when their caregiver leaves and avoids or ignores the caregiver when they return. Which attachment style does this demonstrate?

Avoidant

Authoritarian Parenting

A parenting style characterized by high control and low warmth, where parents enforce strict rules, demand obedience, and provide little explanation or open communication.

A parent has strict rules and expects immediate obedience. When their child asks why a rule exists, the parent responds, "Because I said so." Which parenting style is this?

Authoritarian

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by high control and high warmth, where parents set clear rules and expectations while also showing love, explaining their decisions, and encouraging open communication.

A parent sets clear rules and high expectations but also listens to their child's concerns, explains why rules exist, and shows affection. Which parenting style is this?

Authoritative

Permissive Parenting

A parenting style characterized by low control and high warmth, where parents are loving and accepting but set few rules, boundaries, or expectations.

A parent is very loving but rarely sets boundaries or disciplines their child. The child is allowed to make most of their own decisions without much parental guidance. Which parenting style is this?

Permissive

Rejecting-Neglectful Parenting

Parenting style characterized by low control and low warmth, where parents are uninvolved, emotionally detached, or indifferent to their child's needs beyond basic physical care.

A parent provides their child's basic physical needs but rarely spends time with them, shows little affection, and is generally uninvolved in their emotional development. Which parenting style is this?

Rejecting-neglectful

Self-esteem

A person's emotional evaluation of their own worth or value

i.e: How do I feel about myself?”

Self-concept

The development of a person's beliefs and understanding about who they are, including their traits, abilities, identity, and values.

i.e: Who am I?

A teenager describes herself by saying, "I am creative, hardworking, Mexican American, and interested in criminal justice." What concept is she demonstrating?

Self-concept

A student receives a high grade on an important exam and feels proud and confident in their abilities. Which concept is most directly demonstrated?

Self-esteem

Which child is most likely to develop strong self-esteem based on the parenting research described in your textbook?

A child whose parent is warm, sets clear expectations, and encourages communication (authoritative)