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Attachment - 0
The Nature of attachment and its development.
24
Psychology
12th Grade
01/05/2012

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Cards

Term
Attachment can be defined as:
Definition
a strong reciporcal emotional bond with another person
Term
Macoby suggested that there are 4 Key Behaviours that indicate an attachment has been formed:
Definition

1. seeking to be near the attachment figure

2. being distressed when seperated from them

3. showing pleasure when reunited with them

4. orientation towards them, frequent contact made

Term

Schaffer and Emerson described attachment as 3 stages:

 

Definition

1. Indiscriminate attachment

 

- up to 6 months

- characteristics inc: doesnt matter who holds baby, it will cry and smile

 

2. Specific Attachment

- 7m to 1year

- one specific attachment forms usually with the caregiver

- baby is destressed when seperated ( seperation anxiety)

-wary of strangers ( stranger anxiety)

 

3. Multiple Attachments

- 1year onwards

- attachment to another person is shown. multipe attachments formed.

Term

Learning Theory

Behavourist perspective believes that all behaviour is learnt through:

-Classical Conditioning

-Operant Conditioning

Definition

Watson was interested in a stimulus and the response will follow from the stimulus.

 

Behavourism is know as Stimulus Response - Learning Theory.

 

Ivan Pavlov 1849-1936

Dogs and salivation. He carried out studies to investigate whether the respose could be trigger by other stimuli.

Investigated to see possibility of a dog learning to assosciate a novel stimulus with salivation reflex.

 

Classical Condition is learning assosciated with a Stimulus and a Response.

Term
Operant Conditioning
Definition

Behaviourist Perspective

 

BT SKINNER 1904-90

- operant is between behavourist and the consquences

-principle is that behaviour is shaped and maintained by consquences

- believed behaviour is learnt.

 

Key Ideas:

Reinforcement - positive outcome of behaviour that makes it more likely to be repeated

Shaping - gradually modifying behaviour using reinforcement, the behaviour becomes more like the target behaviour

 

Skinner believed the best way to change behaviour was positive reinforcement.

Punishment should be avoided as

1. unpleasent,bad behaviour is likely to reoccur

2. no indication of what desired behaviour should be

3. undesirable effects

 

Term

Dollard and Miller 1950

 

Learning theory explanation was further developed by secondary drive hypothesis.

Definition

They proposed that:

Primary drives , are motivational states arising from psychological needs.

These are then repeatedly met by mother. who needs satisfaction.

This becomes a secondary drive hypothesis.

Term
Operant condition also suggests that attachment is learned:
Definition

Feeding is reinforcing to a hungery child. Mum is close during feeding, feeding postively reinforces attachment.

 

Term
Problems with theories that explain attachment in terms of feeding:
Definition

1. Schaffer and Emerson - found that a large pop. of infacts had primary attachments with people who seldomly fed thme, so attachment cannot be explained by feeding alone.

 

2. Harlow and Zimmerman - investigated bias of attachment in monkeys. They concluded that mothering was not just about feeding. Young primates needed warmth.

Term
Attachment Definiton
Definition
a strong reciporcal emotional bond between an infant and another person
Term
Adaptive Behaviour:
Definition
believes that infants are genetically predisposed to form strong attachments would be likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their genes. For the mother attrachment is adaptiove as it will motivate her to care for the infant, helping it to survive.
Term
Attachment is adaptive because:
Definition

1. promotes safety

2. promotes development of a healthy relationship

3. provides a secure base for exploration

Term
Social Releasers are:
Definition

triggers for attachment process.

Infants display social releasers such as crying and laughing as people are predispositioned to respond.

Term
Attachment is a two way relationship:
Definition

meaning that the bond between a mother and child is reciporcal. A child needs its mother for food and warmth. A mother needs a child to pass on its genes. 

 

Term
Bowlby's development of Attachment
Definition
  • 0-8 weeks - infant friendly towards all, shows little discrimination between them. 
  • 8w-6months - infant starts to show preference to primary caregiver
  • 6m-2yrs - uses mum as secure base. seperation anxiety and stranger anxiety kicks in. 
  • 2yrs onwards - infant develops insight into primary care giver. behaviour can be mirrored. equal relationship. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Term
Evaluation of Bowlby's Theory of Attachment
Definition
Term

[image]He was a trained psychoanalyst

Definition
  • the psychodynamic perspective is mainly concerned with the unconcious drive. 
  • It also recognises the importance of childhood experiences for later development
Term
Probelms with extrapolation:
Definition

it is probelmatic to appy findings form non human, animal research to humans. 


BUT :D

We have general support from Harlow's monkeys:

research has shown than monkeys are genetically closer to humans, than geese. 

Monkeys develop long term social and sexual probelms when reared without a mother such as: they are withdrawn, aggressive, self harm, cant reproduce.

But if they had no social contact either - their behaviour may be a result of that. 

Term
Further research from cross-cultural research
Definition

Research from cross cultures found that the pattern off development of seperation anxiety was similar.

it emerges in the 2nd half of the 1st year and declines steadily. 


Note: there is evidence of this universally, this supports it being innate ( born with) 

Term

:D used the term MONOTROPY to explain seperation anxiety 


BUT

:(  there is probelms with this.  

Definition

Bowlby: seperation anxiety showed attachment bond was formed. He believed at the same time children developed fear of strangers.                              Monotropy: the need to become attached to one other person. He said that these behaviours were adaptive. The idea of Monotropy has been challenged                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Term
:) support for his interal working model - research has shown that early attachment pattern DO have a link with later relationships.
Definition
 :( weh - His theory rests on evolutionary ideas - can't test what the evolutionary perspective claims. 
Term

Strange situation Test

 

Definition

- lab based research

to investigate mother and infant attachment

 

Developed by Margaret Ainsworth

Test identified secure/insecure attachmen

 

Term

Strange situation:

conditions

Definition

Children tested 12-18 months

8 episodes - 3 mins duration

yet time was cut short if the child was distressed

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