module 9 part 2

What is attachment?

A strong emotional bond between an infant and their primary caregiver.

Why is attachment important?

It provides security, supports healthy emotional development, and influences future relationships.

Who developed attachment theory?

John Bowlby.

According to Bowlby, why is attachment biologically important?

It increases an infant's chances of survival by keeping them close to caregivers.

Who studied attachment using rhesus monkeys?

Harry Harlow.

What was the purpose of Harlow's monkey experiment?

To determine whether infants form attachments because of food or comfort.

How was Harlow's experiment designed?

Baby monkeys were given two surrogate mothers: one made of wire that provided milk and one covered in soft cloth that provided no food.

What did Harlow find?

The monkeys spent most of their time with the soft cloth mother, even though the wire mother provided food.

What did the monkeys do when frightened?

They ran to the cloth mother for comfort and security.

What is contact comfort?

The physical comfort provided by close, soft, and comforting touch.

What did Harlow's study demonstrate?

Attachment depends more on contact comfort than on feeding.

Why was Harlow's study important?

It challenged the belief that food is the primary basis of attachment.

What is the Strange Situation experiment?

A procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to measure infant attachment styles.

Who developed the Strange Situation test?

Mary Ainsworth.

How does the Strange Situation test work?

The caregiver leaves the infant alone briefly and then returns while researchers observe the infant's reactions.

What does the Strange Situation measure?

The quality of attachment between an infant and caregiver.

What is secure attachment?

An attachment style in which infants become upset when the caregiver leaves but are easily comforted when the caregiver returns.

Characteristics of securely attached infants.

Use the caregiver as a secure base, explore confidently, become distressed during separation, and seek comfort upon reunion.

What parenting style is associated with secure attachment?

Consistent, responsive, warm, and sensitive caregiving.

What is insecure-avoidant attachment?

An attachment style in which infants show little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoid the caregiver upon return.

Characteristics of insecure-avoidant attachment.

Little emotional response to separation and little interest when the caregiver returns.

What parenting style is associated with insecure-avoidant attachment?

Emotionally unavailable or consistently rejecting caregivers.

What is insecure-ambivalent (resistant) attachment?

An attachment style in which infants become extremely distressed when the caregiver leaves but are difficult to comfort when the caregiver returns.

Characteristics of insecure-ambivalent attachment.

Clinginess, intense distress, and anger or resistance toward the caregiver during reunion.

What parenting style is associated with insecure-ambivalent attachment?

Inconsistent caregiving.

Which attachment style is considered the healthiest?

Secure attachment.

Which attachment style is associated with ignoring the caregiver?

Insecure-avoidant attachment.

Which attachment style is associated with clinginess and difficulty being comforted?

Insecure-ambivalent attachment.

What is preferential looking?

A research method that measures what infants look at the longest to determine what they can perceive or recognize.

Why is preferential looking useful?

Infants cannot verbally communicate, so researchers infer perception from looking time.

How do researchers know infants can recognize faces?

Infants spend more time looking at faces than at many other visual stimuli.

Who developed the theory of cognitive development?

Jean Piaget.

What are Piaget's four stages of cognitive development?

Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational.

What is the sensorimotor stage?

The first stage of Piaget's theory (birth to about 2 years) during which infants learn through sensory experiences and motor actions.

What major cognitive achievement occurs during the sensorimotor stage?

Object permanence.

What is object permanence?

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

How can object permanence be tested?

Hide a toy under a blanket and observe whether the infant searches for it.

At what age does object permanence typically develop?

Around 8 to 12 months during the sensorimotor stage.

What is the preoperational stage?

Piaget's second stage (about ages 2–7), characterized by symbolic thinking but limited logical reasoning.

What is symbolic thinking?

The ability to use words, images, or objects to represent something else.

What is centration?

Focusing on only one aspect of a problem while ignoring other important features.

Example of centration.

A child believes a tall, narrow glass contains more water than a short, wide glass even though the amount is the same.

Why do children fail conservation tasks?

Because of centration.

What is conservation?

The understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance.

What do conservation tasks reveal?

Whether children can think logically rather than relying only on appearance.

What is the concrete operational stage?

Piaget's third stage (about ages 7–11), characterized by logical thinking about concrete objects and events.

What cognitive ability develops during the concrete operational stage?

Conservation.

What is transitive inference?

The ability to understand logical relationships between items.

Example of transitive inference.

If A is taller than B and B is taller than C, then A is taller than C.

During which Piaget stage does transitive inference develop?

Concrete operational stage.

What is the formal operational stage?

Piaget's fourth stage (beginning around age 12) characterized by abstract, hypothetical, and scientific reasoning.

What type of thinking develops during the formal operational stage?

Abstract thinking.

What is abstract thinking?

The ability to think about ideas, possibilities, and hypothetical situations rather than only concrete objects.

What is assimilation?

Interpreting new information using existing mental schemas.

Example of assimilation.

Calling every four-legged animal a dog because it fits an existing schema.

What is accommodation?

Changing an existing schema to fit new information.

Example of accommodation.

Learning that cats and dogs are different animals and modifying the original schema.

Assimilation vs. accommodation

Assimilation fits new information into existing schemas; accommodation changes schemas to incorporate new information.

What is a schema?

A mental framework used to organize and interpret information.

What is theory of mind?

The understanding that other people have thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and perspectives different from one's own.

At what age does theory of mind typically develop?

Around 4 to 5 years of age.

How is theory of mind commonly tested?

Using false-belief tasks such as the Sally-Anne test.

What is the Sally-Anne false-belief task?

A child predicts where Sally will look for an object based on Sally's mistaken belief rather than reality.

Study guide question: What did the Harlow monkey study reveal?

Infants form attachments primarily through contact comfort rather than feeding.

Study guide question: What is the Strange Situation test?

A procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth that measures infant attachment by observing responses to separation and reunion with a caregiver.

Study guide question: Describe the three attachment styles.

Secure: distressed but comforted upon reunion. Insecure-avoidant: ignores caregiver. Insecure-ambivalent: highly distressed and difficult to comfort.

Study guide question: During what developmental stage does object permanence develop?

The sensorimotor stage.

Study guide question: How can we test whether infants differentiate themselves from others?

Researchers use preferential looking and self-recognition tasks such as the mirror test.

Study guide question: What do conservation tasks reveal?

They reveal whether children can think logically and understand that quantity remains constant despite changes in appearance.