attachment

interactional synchrony - care-giver infant interaction

simultaneous interaction between the infant and care-giver who appear to be acting rhythmically, with matching, coordinated behaviour. e.g. moving head/hands at the same time.

reciprocity - care-giver infant interactions

mutual turn-taking form of interaction.

both caregiver and infant contribute to the interaction by responding to the other’s signs and cues.

imitation - care-giver infant interactions

infant directly copies the care-giver’s expression.

sensitive responsiveness - care-giver infant interactions

caregiver correctly interprets the meaning of the infant’s communication and is motivated to respond appropriately.

stages of attachment - Schaffer

1. Asocial 0-6 weeks

   innate behaviours, anyone can comfort them

2. indiscriminate 6weeks - 7 months

   tell difference between familiar and unfamiliar individual

3. discriminate/specific attachment 7months -9months

   strong attachment to primary caregiver - separation and stranger anxiety

4. multiple attachments 9/10 +

   other attachments are formed (fathers, grandparents etc)

role of the father

• Schaffer found that 18 months - formed attachment with father.

• separation anxiety was shown

role of father - action

• active play - stimulation encourages risk-taking behaviours.

• primary caregiver - take on the role of the primary caregiver their interactional style changes - increase sensitive responsiveness.

animal studies - Lorenz

• studied imprinting of Goose eggs.

• critical period of 32 hours (not see a large moving object - lose ability)

• strong evolutionary/biological feature of attachment

animal studies - Harlow

• studied ‘cupboard love’ theory (babies love mothers bcs of food)

• monkeys either cloth or wire mother (wire had food)

• spent more time with cloth - comfort.

• biological need for comfort.

• also maternal deprivation (social implications after)

Learning theory - classical conditioning

Dollard and Miller - cupboard love theory.

NS (mother) - NR

UCS (food) - UCR (pleasure)

NS + UCS - CR

CS (mother) - CR (pleasure)

learning theory - operant conditioning

parent feed crying baby - more likely repeat crying behaviour (negative reinforcement)

attachment - secondary drive (lead to satisfy the primary drive - hunger)

Monotropic theory

evolutionary explanations.

innate instinctual drive to form attachments.

social releasers - to attract caregiver attention.

critical period - 30 months.

schema - internal working model.

Ainsworth - strange situation

• proximity to mother

• exploration of area

• stranger anxiety

• social anxiety

• reunion

• sensitive responsiveness

types of attachment - Ainsworth

1. insecure avoidant (A) - low anxiety, low sensitive responsiveness (SR)

2. secure (B) - moderate level anxiety, safe base, high SR

3. insecure resistant (C) - high anxiety, mixed emotions, inconsistent SR

cultural variations

Van Lijzendoorm - meta analysis.

strange situation across - 12 different countries.

secure - most common.

insecure avoidant - western countries e.g. Germany

insecure resistant - non-western countries e.g. Japan

maternal deprivation - Bowlby

if the critical period is disrupted - deprivation of attachment negative consequences.

consequences -

• Delinquency (social)

• Affectionless Psychopaths (emotional)

• IQ low (intellect)

continuity hypothesis - deprivation effects the internal working model = bad later relationships

Romanian Orphans - institutionalisation

privation - total lack of care, no attachment.

Rutter - longitudinal study.

age 11 - adopted after 6 months, delayed physical, emotional and intellectual development.

influence of early attachment

internal working model - schemas are developed.

continuity hypothesis - future relationships will follow pattern based on IWM.