WEEK 12 LECTURE 2

Flashcards based on PSYC121 Week 12 Lecture 2 (T1, 2025) by Dr. Frankie T. K. Fong

What is attachment?

A close emotional bond between two people.

Who conducted studies on rhesus monkeys to understand attachment?

Harry Harlow.

What were the two types of surrogate mothers used in Harlow's monkey studies?

Wire feeding mother and terry-cloth mother.

Which surrogate mother did infant monkeys prefer in Harlow's studies?

Terry-cloth mother.

What did Harlow conclude about attachment based on his monkey studies?

Attachment is based on ‘contact comfort’.

What roles did the terry-cloth mother serve for the infant monkeys?

Safe haven and secure base.

What were some effects of isolation on monkeys re-introduced to groups?

Aggressive, loners, socially incompetent.

Who developed the attachment theory, emphasizing early experiences?

John Bowlby.

According to Bowlby, what is attachment?

A lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.

Name one of Bowlby's four characteristics of attachment.

Proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base, or separation distress.

What is proximity maintenance in the context of attachment?

The desire to be near the people we are attached to.

What is 'safe haven' in Bowlby's attachment theory?

Returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of fear.

What is the 'secure base' in attachment theory?

The attachment figure acts as a base of security from which the child can explore.

What is separation distress?

Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the attachment figure.

Who developed the Strange Situation Assessment?

Mary Ainsworth.

Name one of the patterns of attachment identified by Ainsworth.

Secure, insecure-avoidant, or insecure-anxious.

What percentage of infants are classified as securely attached?

Approximately 60%.

What is a characteristic of mothers of securely attached infants?

Sensitive, emotionally expressive, flexible, quick response to crying, more face-to-face contact.

What is a characteristic of mothers of avoidant infants?

Minimally expressive, inflexible, uncomfortable with close body contact, slow to respond to distress.

What is a characteristic of mothers of anxious infants?

Inconsistent responses to their infants, minimal spontaneous affection.

According to Sroufe et al. (2005), what is early secure attachment linked to?

Positive emotional health, high self-esteem, self-confidence, socially competent interaction.

What did van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988) study?

Cultural differences in attachment.

What is the Still Face Paradigm?

A procedure where a parent interacts normally with an infant and then holds a neutral face.

What is the typical gazing behavior of babies during normal interaction?

Gaze at parents for about 70% of time.

What is the typical smiling behavior of babies during normal interaction?

Smile 20% of the time.

What happens to babies' smiling and gazing during a still-face procedure?

Smiling stops, and gazing drops by about 50%.

What is social referencing?

Using others’ emotional expressions to guide one's behavior in ambiguous situations.

At what age do infants typically start using social referencing?

Around 12 months.

In studies with infants and toddlers, what types of emotions are often used?

One positive and one negative emotion.

What does the marshmallow test study?

Mastering Self-Control