Attachment - AQA Psychology in 22 MINS!
Psych Boost・2 minutes read
Attachment in humans involves deep emotional bonds between infants and caregivers, with reciprocity and interactional synchrony playing crucial roles in fostering secure relationships. Research highlights the impact of caregiver-infant interactions on attachment development and the negative consequences of maternal deprivation, emphasizing the importance of consistent care for healthy social, emotional, and intellectual growth.
Insights
- Caregiver-infant interactions are crucial for attachment development, with reciprocity, interactional synchrony, and sensitive responsiveness playing key roles in fostering emotional bonds and security.
- Disruption of attachment during the critical period can have long-lasting negative effects on social, emotional, and intellectual development, highlighting the importance of consistent and nurturing caregiver-infant interactions for healthy attachment formation.
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Recent questions
What is attachment in humans?
Attachment in humans involves deep emotional bonds between infants and caregivers, leading to feelings of security and closeness. These bonds are crucial for the infant's emotional development and well-being, shaping their future relationships and interactions with others. The attachment process begins in infancy and continues to evolve throughout life, influencing how individuals perceive themselves and others in relationships.
How do infants and caregivers interact?
Infants and caregivers interact through reciprocity, which is similar to a conversation where both parties contribute to the interaction through turn-taking. This back-and-forth exchange of gestures, vocalizations, and emotions helps build a strong bond between the infant and caregiver. Additionally, interactional synchrony plays a key role in these interactions, as both parties engage in coordinated behavior and emotional states simultaneously, fostering a sense of connection and understanding.
Why is sensitive responsiveness important in caregiver-infant interactions?
Sensitive responsiveness is crucial in caregiver-infant interactions because it involves accurately interpreting the infant's cues and responding appropriately. Caregivers must be attuned to the infant's needs, emotions, and signals to provide the necessary support and comfort. By responding sensitively to the infant, caregivers help establish a secure attachment, promoting the infant's emotional well-being and development.
What are the stages of attachment development?
The stages of attachment development, identified by Schaffer, range from asocial to multiple attachments, with separation and stranger anxiety emerging in specific stages. Asocial attachment occurs in the first few weeks of life, followed by the development of attachments to primary caregivers. Infants then form multiple attachments to other familiar individuals, experiencing separation anxiety when separated from caregivers and displaying stranger anxiety towards unfamiliar individuals. These stages highlight the progression of attachment relationships in infancy.
How does attachment influence child development?
Attachment plays a significant role in child development, as demonstrated by research on maternal deprivation and the effects of disrupted attachment relationships. Bob's theory of maternal deprivation emphasizes the negative consequences of disrupting a child's attachment during the critical period, leading to issues in social, emotional, and intellectual development. Studies on Romanian orphans adopted into caring families also underscore the importance of secure attachments in promoting positive behavioral, cognitive, and social outcomes in children. Overall, attachment influences various aspects of child development and well-being, highlighting its importance in shaping individuals' lives.
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Summary
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Infant-Caregiver Attachment: Bonds, Reciprocity, Synchrony
- Attachment in humans involves deep emotional bonds between infants and caregivers, leading to feelings of security and closeness.
- Reciprocity in attachment is akin to a conversation, with both caregiver and infant contributing to interactions through turn-taking.
- Interactional synchrony is observed when infants and caregivers engage in coordinated behavior and emotional states simultaneously.
- Infants imitate caregivers' expressions, showcasing their ability to reciprocate gestures.
- Sensitive responsiveness is crucial, as caregivers must interpret infants' cues accurately and respond appropriately.
- Studies by Meto and Mo demonstrated infants' ability to imitate facial gestures, highlighting their observational and imitative skills.
- Video recordings by Cond and Sander revealed evidence of interactional synchrony and coordination between adults and neonates.
- Caregiver-infant interaction research relies on inferences about infants' internal mental states, as infants cannot directly communicate their thoughts or emotions.
- Stages of attachment development, from asocial to multiple attachments, were identified by Schaffer, with separation and stranger anxiety emerging in specific stages.
- Research by Schaffer on working-class babies from Glasgow highlighted the influence of caregiver-infant interactions on attachment strength, emphasizing the importance of consistent interactions for attachment development.
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Impact of Maternal Deprivation on Child Development
- Bob's theory of maternal deprivation highlights the negative consequences of disrupting a child's monotropic attachment during the critical period, which is the first 30 months of life, leading to issues in social, emotional, and intellectual development.
- Bal's 1944 study on 44 thieves revealed that deprivation can impact an infant's internal working model, resulting in unsuccessful relationships, while Bob's work on attachment influenced positive changes in child welfare policies, such as visiting time for mothers and the ratio of carers to infants in nursery schools.
- Rutter's longitudinal study on Romanian orphans adopted into British families showed that children adopted after 2 years old displayed overly friendly behavior towards strangers, with delayed development in those adopted after 6 months and lower IQ in those adopted after 24 months.
- Research on Romanian orphans has influenced adoption and care policies, with findings indicating that children adopted into caring families exhibit better behavioral and peer relationships, mental ability, IQ, and social skills compared to those returned to abusive environments.
