PSYCH 1008 Exam #4- Attachment

mutual regulation

both baby and mother influence each other

How baby communicates - Facial expressions at birth

birth = distress by crying, interest by staring

2.5-3 months= can voluntarily smile
3-4 months= can show sadness and anger
7 months = show fear
1 year = show guilt, shame, embarrassment

Key fact about babies communicating through facial expressions

This progression is seen across all cultures, related to brain maturation

How baby communicates - emotional display rules

rules put in culture that dictate what emotions are allowable

Micro analysis

use dual camera to study mom and baby at the same time

micro analysis- interactional synchrony

smooth rhythm of baby + mom attending to one another

lack of synchrony

seen in depressed mothers, baby shows increase distress and sadness

Still face procedure instructs mom

to not respond to baby

Still face procedure results

• baby will try to engage mom by pointing, grunting and crying

• when it doesn’t work baby will show increase distress, less positive affects, and will look away to find stimulation elsewhere

Gottman Video shows baby says YES by

staring, imitating, asking for repetition

Gottman Video shows baby says NO by

fussing, crying, arching back, bunching forehead (darwin’s grief muscle)

Temperament: NY longitudinal study

easy babies = 40 %, regular schedules, positive moods, do not overreact to new situations

difficult babies = 10%, irregular schedules, negative moods, overreact to new situations, will show problems into adolescence not adulthood

Slow to warm baby = 15 %, irregular schedules, does not overreact at first but takes time to warm up

Goodness of fit

what matters is the fit between moms personality and babies personality

What is the best predictor of attachment

moms expectations before birth

Social Motivation
Harry Harlow: Rhesus Monkey depression study results

1) Monkeys who are placed in cage with 2 artificial mothers display contact comfort

2) Monkeys placed in cage with just bottle no contact with mother are permanently unable to form relationships, socially deficient

3) Deprived Monkey as a mother creates Monster Moms, leave baby to die or kills child

Romanian Orphanages

nurses are instructed to neglect child and avoid physical touch
after adoption kids are able to recover physically but always struggle socially

Bucharest Intervention Study: Secure attachment Percentages

with Bio parents: 65%
were adopted: 49%
stayed institutionalized: 18%

Bucharest Intervention Study: Intelligence score

with Bio parents: 109

were adopted: 81

stayed institutionalized: 73

Bucharest Intervention Study: Psychiatric Disorders

with Bio parents: 22%

were adopted: 55%

stayed institutionalized: 55%

mainly ADHD

John Bowlby

father of attachment, 1950s studied kids in hospitals

Phases of attachment

Indiscriminate social responsiveness (preattachment), discriminate SR, clear cut attachment

Indiscriminate social responsiveness (preattachment)

Birth-3 months
baby is happy with anyone, to receive any attention

discriminate social responsiveness

3-7 months
baby prefers primary caregiver but will accept others
social referencing: when baby is unsure how to react, it will look at mom and mirror reaction

Clear cut attachment

8-36 months
bond with mom is strongest creating separation anxiety
secure base: regulate fear and insecurity with distance

sequences of phases when child is left in hospital

protest, depression, despair, detached but gets excited about object

Mary Ainsworths way of measuring attachment

Strange situation

Strange situation Chart for securely attached

65%
cries when mom leaves
glad when mom returns
M > S
mom is caring, affectionate, playful
kids outcome is inc cognitive inc social competence

Strange situation Chart for insecure avoidant

15%
doesn’t care when mom leaves
avoids contact when mom returns
m = s
mom is irritated, rejecting, lacks physical contact
kid outcome is violent

Strange situation Chart for insecure resistant

20%
cries/protests when mom leaves
not soothed, cries to be picked up and put down when mom returns
M < S
mom is inept, ineffective, cant be trusted
kid outcome is violent

disorganized

child is abused and faces severe neglect
child displays off behavior

ESA: earned secure attachment

adults with poor attachment can learn to act as if securely attachment

Low control / Low warmth

Disengaged

Disengaged parents kid outcome

risk taking, delinquency

Low control High Warmth

Permissive

Permissive parent

has rules but not enforced, act as if they were kids friend

permissive kid outcome

poor social skills, low self-esteem, behavior is either aggressive or hypertimid, internally they have mood issues, increased anxiety and depression

High control High Warmth

Authoritative - high but reasonable expectations, highly predictable, will help kid achieve expectation

Authoritative Kid outcome

Curious, confident, well-behaved, self-control, high academics, high social skills

Daycare - Research by Mott

controlled for SES
discovered kids In daycare have higher cognitive development
healthy girls = benefited
healthy boys = neutral
unhealthy = deficits

Daycare- Research by Spiker

over 100 mom/child observations
discovered the more hours a child is out of moms care the less positive interactions later. To get quality time you need more quantity

Daycare: research on 2007 (largest) daycare study in U.S

tracked kids from birth to 6th grade
kids In daycare show increase in vocab and increase in behavioral problems

Daycare: universal free daycare

mothers returning to work increase by 85% but showed longterm negative effects

5-9 years old = anxiety and aggressive behavior

12-20 years old = increase criminal activity in boys

Daycare: Boston free daycare

staffed by only professionals (credential teachers)
discovered children has increase in high school graduation, increase in college attendance, and decrease in jail/behavioral issues

Daycare can have both _____

positive and negative benefits
cognitive boost but decreased social functioning
need high quality teachers

How do dads interact with kids

tend to be more playful, physical play, stimulating

Focus on Family Study

mic’ed preschoolers and found dads have 2-3 signigant interactions, avg 15 sec, total 37 sec per day
has improved to 2+ hours per week

Josh Mcdowell - CASA (Columbia Uni study on substance abuse)

teen with single mom = 30% inc in substance abuse
teen with distant dad = 68% increase in substance abuse
teen with dad involved = 94% decrease in substance abuse

Josh Mcdowel stated

rules without relationships = rebellion