Attachment pyschology

Definitions and supporting research from booklet

What is attachment

The two way bond between child and caregiver, shown through secure base behaviour, seperation distress, and proximity

What is reciprocity

Two way communication between child and caregiver, Both parties can elicit responses form each other (active contributors). They imitate similar responses to each other.

What is interactional synchrony

When a mother and child’s emotions mirror each other in a synchronised way. Synchronised= moving in a similar pattern at the same time

Supporting research for reciprocity

Condon and Sander. Analysed frame by frame recordings of 16 infants (12hrs-2weeks old) interacting with their caregiver. In response to the adult’s voice, the infants coordinated their actions to form a ‘turn taking’ conversation

Supporting research for interactional synchrony

Meltzoff and Moore. 12-21 day old infants watched an experimenter doing tongue/lip protrusion and mouth opening. Observers who were blind to the aim coded the infant’s expressions, and found that they matched with the adults expressions more often than would happen by chance

Deyong et al

Infants do not show interactional synchrony with non human objects. Shows that they have specific social responses and do not imitate everything. Leads to real life application of babies being placed with their mothers after birth so that they may form their attachment bonds

Le Vine

Kenyan mothers rarely interact with their children, yet still from strong secure attachments with them.

Isabella et al

Strongly attached infants display more interactional synchrony

Shaffer and Emerson aim

To identify if there are patterns to attachment formation in infants. To identify the distinct stages where attachments form

Shaffer and Emerson procedure

60 newborn babies and their mothers, working class area in Glasgow

Longitudinal study- Babies and mothers studied in their homes each month for first year and then again at 18 months

Observations as well as interviews

Interview questions: “Who does the baby smile at?” “Who causes the baby distress?”

Shaffer and Emerson measures

Seperation anxiety- (Infant has formed attachment to caregiver) Assessed using everyday situations like baby is left alone in a room

Stranger anxiety- Measured when infants approached by researcher at the start of each visit

Shaffer and Emerson findings

Attachment behaviour forms in stages loosely linked to age.

Strongly attached infants had mothers who responsed to their needs quickly and had more interaction

65% of their first attachments to mother

3% of first attachments to father

39% of attachments not to person who gave food/spent the most time with infant

Multiple attachments could be formed, at 18 months 87% had at least 2 and 31% has 5+

Shaffer and emerson conclusions

There is a pattern of attachment formation with all infants, suggesting that the process is biologically controlled

Attachments are made better with those who have sensitive responsiveness, recognising and responding appropriately to the infant’s needs, rather than those spending the most time with the infant

Multiple attachments are the norm. (Opposing bowlby monotropic theory)

Stages of attachment and who studied it

Shaffer and Emerson.

Pre attachment/Asocial stage- 0-6 weeks

Indisriminate attachment- 6 weeks- 7 months

Discriminate/specific attachment- 7-9 months

Multiple attachments- 10 months

Pre attachment (ascocial stage)

0-6 weeks

Babies show similar responses to all people and non human objects

show some preference for familiar adults

happier in the presence of people

indiscriminate attachment

6 weeks- 7 months

more social

preference of people over objects

accept comfort off of anyone

no seperation or stranger anxiety yet

Discriminate/specific attachment

7-9 months

Primarily attached to main caregiver

Separation and stranger anxiety

Looks to particular people for security comfort and protection

Multiple attachments phase

10+ months

Secondary attachments start to form e.g grandparents, siblings