Infancy: Socioemotional Development – Part III

Flashcards covering key concepts related to parent-child attachment styles and theories.

Attachment Theory

A psychological model that describes the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships between humans.

Strange Situation

A structured observational procedure used to assess attachment styles in children by observing their behavior during separations and reunions with their caregiver.

Secure Attachment

A style characterized by warmth, support, and responsiveness from parents, where children seek proximity upon reunion and recover quickly from distress.

Ambivalent Attachment

A style where a child is overly dependent on parents, displaying exaggerated dependency and anger upon reunion, indicative of inconsistent parental responses.

Avoidant Attachment

A style where a child appears indifferent to the presence or absence of a parent, often resulting from unresponsive or intrusive parental behavior.

Disorganized Attachment

A style characterized by confusion or apprehension in the child's behavior toward the parent, often resulting from fear-inducing parenting.

Risk Factors for Insecurity

Factors that can contribute to insecure attachment, including poor understanding of normative development, having many siblings, parent incarceration, and single parenthood.

ECR-R

An attachment style questionnaire that individuals can take to assess their own attachment styles.