29 Questions
What was the basis of the mother-infant bond according to the behaviourist view of attachment?
Pleasure derived from food
In Harry Harlow's experiment with monkey surrogates, which 'surrogate mother' had food?
Wire 'mother'
What did the infant monkeys predominantly seek in Harry Harlow's experiment?
Comfort provided by the cloth mother
What did the behaviourist tradition expect the infant monkeys to prioritize?
The mom that was a source of food
What did John Bowlby, the psychoanalyst, study in relation to children during WWII?
Intense emotional distress of orphaned children
What did the wire 'mother' represent in Harlow's experiment?
Unconditioned stimulus (food)
What did the cloth 'mother' represent in Harlow's experiment?
Conditioned stimulus (linked to food)
What did the infant monkeys' preference for the cloth 'mother' contradict?
Behaviourist tradition
What was the main factor that the infant monkeys needed according to Harlow's experiment?
Comfort provided by the cloth mother
What did the cloth 'mother' provide to the infant monkeys according to Harlow's experiment?
Comfort and security
What impact does inconsistency in caregiving have on children with resistant attachment?
Leads to longer soothing time due to hyperactivity in their attachment system
What is the association between the serotonin transporter gene S allele and attachment style?
Associated with greater reactivity to stress, making children more vulnerable to insecure attachment in negative home environments
What impact does having at least one secure attachment have on children?
Can buffer the negative effects of insecure attachment
What do internal working models, constructed as a result of experiences with caregivers, guide throughout life?
Expectations about relationships and influence a child's behavior in interactions
What is the primary factor that classifies children into different attachment styles in the Strange Situation?
Experiences with caregivers
According to the SECCYD study, what is the strongest predictor of attachment security in children?
Quality of mother's interactions
What impact did the Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) study find regarding childcare and attachment security?
Attending childcare had no effect on attachment security, with aspects of childcare only impacting attachment security if the child experienced risks at home
What does genetic differential susceptibility suggest about certain children?
They are more environmentally sensitive and are affected by parenting style
What impact do attachment styles have on children's social and emotional development?
Have a profound impact, shaping their internal working models, guiding their expectations and behaviors in relationships throughout their lives
What is the primary motivator for seeking proximity to a caregiver according to Bowlby's attachment theory?
Distress from separation
What activates the attachment system according to Bowlby's attachment theory?
Separation or perceived threat
What did Mary Ainsworth develop to assess children's attachment to a specific caregiver?
Strange Situation Procedure
What are the most critical parts of the Strange Situation for assessing attachment?
Child's reactions to separation
How many attachment styles were identified by Ainsworth's research in the Strange Situation?
4
What percentage of children exhibit the secure attachment style?
60%
What are the determinants of a child's attachment style according to the text?
Genetics and parenting behaviors
How do avoidantly attached children cope with distress?
By relying on self-soothing
What behavior leads resistantly attached children to be overwhelmed and unable to be soothed?
Becoming overwhelmed
What did Ainsworth's research lead to the identification of in terms of attachment styles?
Four attachment styles
Study Notes
Attachment Theory and Strange Situation Procedure
- John Bowlby's attachment theory emphasizes that children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments to caregivers for survival.
- Bowlby identified distress from separation as the primary motivator for seeking proximity to a caregiver.
- The attachment system is activated only during separation or perceived threat, leading to behaviors such as seeking proximity and separation distress.
- Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation Procedure to assess children's attachment to a specific caregiver.
- The Strange Situation Procedure involves a series of eight events to evaluate the child's reactions to separation, reunion, and interactions with strangers.
- The most critical parts of the Strange Situation for assessing attachment are the child's reactions to the caregiver's return.
- Ainsworth's research led to the identification of four attachment styles: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant (anxious), and insecure-disorganized.
- Secure attachment style accounts for 60% of children, while insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and insecure-disorganized styles account for 15%, 10%, and 15% respectively.
- The attachment styles identified in the Strange Situation have been replicated in various studies and are universally present with similar frequencies.
- The determinants of a child's attachment style include parenting behaviors and genetics, with secure attachment linked to supportive and sensitive parenting.
- Avoidantly attached children learn to deactivate their attachment system and rely on self-soothing, while resistantly attached children become hypervigilant and learn to cope with distress by heightening it.
- The behavior of resistantly attached children leads them to be overwhelmed and unable to be soothed when the parent returns.
Test your knowledge of Attachment Theory and the Strange Situation Procedure with this quiz. Explore the key concepts, such as Bowlby's attachment theory, Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure, and the identification of different attachment styles. Gain insights into the determinants of attachment styles and their impact on children's behavior.
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