Flashcards
Developmental Psychology Flash Cards
Cards in this deck (38)
- 1AttachementA strong and emotional bond between an infant and a caregiver
- 2Attachment types: Secure attachmentSeparation anxiety- infant distressed when mother leaves
Stranger anxiety- happy to interact with stranger with mother present, avoided stranger when mother absent.
Reunion behavior- infant greets mother and happy of her return.
Other- infant used mother as safe base for exploration. - 3Attachment types: Insecure resistantSeparation anxiety- shows intense distress
Stranger anxiety- avoids stranger and shows fear when mother is present and absent.
Reunion behavior- child approaches mother but resists contact and may even push her away - 4Attachment types: Insecure avoidentSeparation anxiety- shows no sign of distress
Stranger anxiety- shows little fear to stranger when mother is absent and present
Reunion behavior- little interest to mother when returns and allows stranger to comfort them
Other- infant continued to play normally - 5Research into attachment types: Mary Ainsworth Strange SituationsUsed a lab exp and covert observation to research attachment types. Experiment set up in small room with one way glass mirror. Sample of 100 middle class American families with infants aged between 12-18 months. Examples of stages used include parent and infant alone, infant and stranger alone etc. Behavioral categories used were separation anxiety, stranger anxiety and reunion behavior. Findings were secure attachment was most common, and insecure resistant and insecure avoident was equally as common.
- 6Evaluation of Mary Ainsworth strange situations-Lab exp- high control of variables
-Lab exp- lacks ecological validity
-Sample bias- lacks population validity
-Can be improved by observing children in own home (ecological validity) and have a sample that is multi national and of different classes (population validity) - 7Research into attachment types: Ijzendoorn and Shuengal (cross cultural differences)Conducted a meta analysis and collected data from 32 separate studies from eight different countries. Used Mary Ainsworth strange situations methodology. Aim was to establish cross cultural differences in attachment. 2000 parent and infant pairs studied. Findings were:
-China- Secure most common, insecure avoident and insecure resistant equal.
-Israel- secure most common, the insecure avoident then insecure resistant.
-Overall, secure most common, then insecure resistant then insecure avoident. - 8Cross cultural differences in attachment: IndividualistIndividualist cultures oriented around self independence and are self reliant. The influence this has on attachment is, children develop one key attachment figure. Therefore they may show more separation and stranger anxiety. UK and France are individualist.
- 9Cross cultural differences in attachment: CollectivistThere is an interdependence of every person. Focus on community. Stress importance of cohesion within social groups. The influence this has on attachment is, children develop multiple key attachment figures. Therefore they may show less separation and stranger anxiety. China and Japan are collectivist.
- 10Evaluation of Ijzendoorn and SheungalLab exp- high control of variables
Lab exp- lacks ecological validity
Imposed etic- strange situations is a technique developed in a westernised culture so can't be generalised. - 11Factors affecting attachment types: Sensitivity and temperament of childSensitivity- Mother responds to needs of child e.g soothes when upset. Generally more sensitive caregivers have more secure attached children.
Temperament of the child- a difficult baby requires a patient and soothing caregiver - 12Evidence for factors affecting attachment types: De wolff and Ijzendoorn (Sensitivity)Conducted a meta analysis to assess relationship between parental sensitivity and type of attachment infant displays. Analysed results from 4000 families and found a positive correlation between sensitivity of caregiver and the strength of attachment.
- 13Evidence for factors affecting attachment types: Belsky and Rovine (Temperament of child)Argue individual differences in attachment may relate to sensitivity of caregiver but also due to inborn temperament of child. A difficult baby would require a patient and soothing caregiver.
- 14Explanations of attachment: Bowlbys evolutionary theoryStages:
1) Innate Programming
2) Monotropy
3)Critical period
4)Social releases
5) Maternal deprivation hypothesis
6) The continuity hypothesis
7) Internal working model - 15Supporting evidence for evolutionary theory: Harlow and ZimmermanLab exp to research explanations of attachment. Raised 8 rhesus monkeys in isolation. Monkeys deprived of mothers until 8 months old. Reared in cages. In each cage was a wire monkey with food, and a comfort monkey. Measured amount of time spent with each monkey and after 8 months observed monkeys social interactions when re-introduced to group. Findings were:
-Monkeys spent most time with comfort monkey. Comfort monkey used as safe base. When re-integrated in group they lacked social development and unable to form attachments.
Supports monotropy, and maternal deprivation hypothesis.
Lab exp- lacks ecological validity.
Animal based research- lowers population validity as we are more cognitively complex. - 16Evaluation of evolutionary theory-Strength- has supporting empirical evidence (Harlow and Zimmerman)
-Weakness- supporting evidence prone to methodological flaws (animal based research)
-Weakness- Deterministic- assumes we have no control of behavior- failure to form attachment in critical period will lead to problems. Not the case for everyone e.g foster children. - 17Explanations of attachment- Learning theory: Classical conditioningAccording to the learning theory, baby has to learn to form an attachment with mother. By process of classical conditioning, the infant forms an association between their mother (neutral stimulus) and the feeling of comfort (unconditioned response) that comes from being fed (unconditioned stimulus). Infant associates mother with comfort of being fed. Then, the mother (conditioned stimulus) makes infant comforted on her own (conditioned response)
- 18Explanations of attachment- learning theory: Operant conditioningIn the process of operant conditioning, the mother rewards infant by feeding them. The infant learns that mother offers that reward and will repeat any action that gets her close e.g crying. This happens as the crying becomes the operant (an action), and the food becomes positive reinforcement.
- 19Explanations of attachment- learning theory: Social learning theoryThe infant identifies a role model (e.g mother). They observe the attachment behavior of role model (e.g role model hugging someone), the infant observes the vicarious reinforcement (role model looks happy when hugging someone), infant will then imitate role model (hugs another child), there will be a consequence either positive or negative (if child hugs back more likely to repeat behavior)
- 20Evidence for learning theory: Schaffer and emersonObservation, interview and longitudinal study. Studied 60 babies every 4 weeks throughout first year of life, then again at 18 months. Mothers asked about babies protests in different situations e.g being left in room alone, being put in bed. The babies were clearly attached to those not involved in physical care (feeding). One of these attachments was father. in 39% of situations mother was not main attachment figure. Schaffer and emerson suggested cupboard love theory wrong way round, babies eat to live, not live to eat. Opposes learning theory.
Self report- may be influenced by social desirability bias, lowers internal validity.
Longitudinal study- may be prone to subject attrition so final sample may not be representative. - 21Evaluation of learning theoryLimitations:
-Has opposing empirical evidence (schaffer and emerson)
-Fails to consider role of nature (assumes all behavior is learnt)
-Reductionist (does not allow for any other influences e.g biological factors)
-Deterministic (cupboard love theory assumes we form attachments to anyone who feeds us, fails to consider role of free will) - 22DeprivationInfant forms an attachment and then it is lost e.g mother dies.
- 23PrivationInfant has never formed an attachment e.g raised in an orphanage.
- 24Maternal Deprivation HypothesisStates that if a child is unable to form a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with their mother or mother substitute, during the critical period then the child would have difficulty forming future relationships with other people during childhood and later life. Also at risk of developing behavioral disorders e.g affectionless psychopathy (inability to show affection, a lack of remorse, anti social behavior and lack of empathy.
- 25Maternal deprivation hypothesis: Short term impactsProtest- an immediate reaction to the threat of separation. Involves crying, screaming etc.
Despair- an outward, direct expression of the childs anger or fear.
Detachment- outwardly calm but remains angry and fearful internally. - 26Research into attachment- Deprivation: Robertson and RobertsonCase study. John and mother had good relationship. He was left in a residential nursery while mother in hospital. Became increasingly distressed on day 3 of 9 stay. On day 9 when mother came to get him, threw himself around and cried loudly. When she tried to cuddle him he ran away. Eventually settled on lap but when father arrived he escaped in his arms. Found evidence of distress outlined in bowlbys maternal deprivation hypothesis.
Case study- lacks population validity
Observation- observer bias, recording what they think not actual behavior. - 27Maternal deprivation hypothesis- long term impacts: Bowlbys 44 thievesLongitudinal study. Interviewed children and families who attended a clinic he worked in in London. Research focused on retrospective data from case studies of children at clinic. Compared backgrounds of 44 juvenile thieves with backgrounds of non-delinquent children. Found 32% of the thieves could be diagnosed with affectionless psychopathy. Most of these children has at least one week separation before age of 5. Shown seperation in early life can lead to ill effects.
Retrospective data- memory prone to errors.
Sample bias- population validity. - 28Maternal Privation hypothesisStates if a child is unable to form a warm, loving continuous relationship with a mother or mother substitute in the critical period then the child will have difficulty forming future relationships with others. May also be at risk of developing behavioral disorders e.g affectionless psychopathy
- 29Research into attachment- Privation: Hodges and TizardLongitudinal study. To investigate how privation impacts the later social and emotional development of children.
Followed development of 65 children who been in residential nursery from only a few months old. Care was good quality but carers discouraged from forming attachments. By age 4, 24 were adopted, 15 returned to original homes ans rest stayed in institutions. Compared to 65 children who always lived in natural homes. Children assessed at 4, 8 and 16 years old. At four none formed attachment. At 8, those adopted formed good attachments. Also social and intellectual development better than those returned to natural families.
Those restored to natural families showed more behavioural problems and attachments were weaker. At 16, adopted group had good attachments, those restored had weaker attachment. Those in institutions showed most difficulties in later attachments. Concluded that there is an importance for early years but delay of attachment does'nt necessarily lead to affectionless psychopathy. High quality care can reverse privation. Subject attrition. Observer bias. - 30Research into attachment- Privation: Czech twinsCase study. Spent first 18 months of lives in institution as mother died shortly after birth. At 18 months went to live with father and new wife. She took instant dislike to them and locked them away in small, dark unheated room apart from rest of family. Deprived of food, exercise and human companionship. When rescued at 7, looked like 3 year olds. Were abnormally small, could hardly walk or talk. At 8 placed in care of two sisters who gave them loving family environment. Learnt to walk and talk, caught up with other students, IQ became average, twins later married and had children. Concluded that if offered a loving secure home, can recover from early privation.
Case study- lacks population validity
Not full example of privation- had each other to form attachment with. - 31Reducing impact of privation and deprivationPrivation- find a loving, long term home with a person they can form attachment to. Also assign them with a key caregiver to form an attachment to.
Deprivation- assigned key worker to help maintain attachment behavior. Maintain contact with caregiver e.g phone calls. Comforting toys. - 32Social BehaviourIs the childs behavior in relation to other people. This would include attachments as well as peer relationships, friendships and aggression.
- 33Types of day careChild minder- Dropped off at house of person employed to look after child. May be a few children there. Need to be registered and inspected by ofsted.
Nursery- Staffed by trained workers and may be attached to a primary school. All children 3 and above entitled to this. Inspected by ofsted and are required to plan activities.
Informal arrangements- often unpaid and often includes childcare by relatives or neighbours.
Nanny/Au pair- an employee who looks after child in childs own home, child is likely to be with siblings than with children from other families. - 34Research into impact of day care on childrens development: Impact on aggression-Sammons et al- increased risk of anti social behavior when spending more time in day care.
NICHD- lower levels of aggression when spending more hours in day care - 35Research into the impact of day care on childrens development: Impact on attachment-Rutter- no impact on the quality of mother child attachment when attended day care
-Belsky and rovine- children became more insecurely attached when attending day care - 36Research into the impact of day care on childrens development: Impact on peer relations-Durkin- more prone to negative social development and anxiety when at day care since infancy
-Clark and Stewart- more sociable and better able to negotiate with peers - 37Research into impact of different types of day care: MelhuishNatural exp. Compared three groups of children who started day care before age of 9 months. Three different day care types were relatives, childminders and nursery. Adult to child ratio was highest with relatives and lowest in nurseries. Contact with other children highest at nursery and lowest with relatives. At 18 months babies cared by relatives had highest level of language development. Least developed by those attending nursery. Children who attended nursery showed high levels of pro social behavior than those with relatives but slightly lower language ability. Suggest there are different potential gains from different childcare settings.
Weakness- difference in quality care, may be measuring impact of quality of care not type. - 38Characteristics of high quality child careKey worker- remains consistent so child can form attachments.
-Low staff turnover- staff continue to work at facility so can form attachments.
-High staff to child ratio- fewer children to each adult to give more attention.
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- A2 level Psychology AS Flashcards on Developmental Psychology Flash Cards, created by han.smith98 on 10/05/2015.
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