Lecture Summary: Key Points on Attachment in Psychology

Introduction

Video is a quick revision of key points from longer attachment videos.
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Attachment: Deep emotional bonds between infants and caregivers, providing security.
Reciprocity: Turn-taking interaction where both caregiver and infant respond to each other's signals.
Interactional Synchrony: Simultaneous interaction with matching coordinated behavior and emotions.
Imitation: Infants copying caregiver's expressions.
Sensitive Responsiveness: Caregiver accurately interpreting and responding to infant communication.
Studies by Meto and Mo, Cond, and Sander highlight these interactions and their reliability.

Stage 1: Asocial (0-6 weeks): Babies show innate behaviors promoting closeness.
Stage 2: Indiscriminate Attachment (6 weeks-7 months): Recognizes familiar vs unfamiliar individuals.
Stage 3: Specific Attachment (7-9 months): Strong attachment to primary caregiver, signs of separation and stranger anxiety.
Stage 4: Multiple Attachments (9-10 months+): Bonds form with other caregivers, decreasing stranger anxiety.
Study by Schaer and Emson on Glasgow babies explores these stages.

Fathers play an important role in infants' lives, often encouraging active play.
If the father is the primary caregiver, they can show increased sensitive responsiveness.
Studies by Field and Fosimo emphasize fathers' impact on socialization and attachment.

Lorenz's Imprinting Study: Goslings form strong bonds with moving objects; critical period of 32 hours.
Harlow's Contact Comfort Study: Infant monkeys prefer comfort over food, demonstrating the need for physical contact.
These studies have informed human attachment theories but have limitations in generalizability.

Learning Theory: Attachment forms as infants associate caregivers with food and comfort. This theory faces criticism for being environmentally reductionist.
Bowlby's Monotropic Theory: Proposes innate need for strong attachment to a primary caregiver within a critical period.

Attachment Types:
- Insecure Avoidant (Type A)
- Secure (Type B)
- Insecure Resistant (Type C)
Ainsworth's Procedure: Lab-based observation of mother-infant pairs demonstrates correlation between attachment type and caregiver's sensitive responsiveness.
Cultural Variations: Cross-cultural differences exist, but secure attachment is globally common.

Disruption in attachment during critical period leads to negative social, emotional, and intellectual consequences.
Study of 44 thieves shows links between deprivation and delinquency.

Institutionalization Effects: Study of orphans adopted into British families shows delayed development if adopted after two years.
Findings emphasize the importance of early physical and emotional care.

Internal Working Model: Early attachment forms a schema for future relationships, supporting continuity hypothesis.
Studies by Hazan and Shaver show correlation between early attachment types and adult relationship styles.

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