Briefly summarize the Strange Situation paradigm and what happens in cross-cultural
research on attachment styles using the Strange Situation. Do you think cross-cultural
Strange Situation studies reflect genuine cultural differences in attachment styles?
Discuss findings from two countries and interpret them in the context of the viewpoint
you present.
Give this one a try later!
The Strange Situation paradigm is a research tool developed by Mary
Ainsworth to assess attachment styles in infants and young children. It
examines an infant's reactions in certain unusual and mildly threatening
situations, both in the mother's presence and when the mother has left the
room, as well as how the child responds when the mother returns. The
child's reactions during these episodes are used to categorize their
attachment style into one of the three main categories: secure attachment,
anxious-ambivalent attachment, and avoidant attachment. A fourth
category, disorganized attachment has also been identified.
I do think cross- cultural strange situation studies reflect genuine cultural
differences in attachment styles. For example, the majority of German
infants studied in the Strange Situation were measured as insecurely
attached (mostly avoidant, or Type A). This could be because in some parts
, of Germany, child rearing often emphasizes early independence from
adults. If these children are more accustomed to seperations and more
frequently exposed to strangers, those experiences could easily lead to a
greater inceidence of type A responses.
Japanese infants showed no avoidant attachments whatsoever, and they
were almost three times as likely as their American counterparts to show
anxious attachments. This could be because in most Japanese house-holds,
early seperation of the mother from the child is strongly discouraged.
Japanese infants are usually inclose proximity to thier mothers for longer
periods of time than infants in other cultures.
Describe how fear might be an emotion that does not obey principles of association
or statistical learning. Describe in detail the experimental evidence suggesting ways
in which associative principles seem to fail. Discuss whether such cases that override
association might apply to other emotions, considering at least one other emotion in
some detail. Why?
Give this one a try later!
Fear is a "prepared" emotion: it is innately linked to certain stimuli or events
or environments.
classic case of the snake and the car door: one day a girl sees a snake and
finds it interesting. later that day she hurts her hand on her family's car door,
and developed a strong phobia of snakes.- she associated the experience
of pain and trauma with the snake even tho she saw the snake before the
accident. this runs counter to principles of classical conditioning, which
predicts stronger learned associations between events that happen closer
together in space and time. the snake had nothing to do with her pain, yet
she automatically associated the two together.
Disgust: disgust is about ensuring that nothing harmful comes near you/you
don't ingest anything harmful (ex: plate of food connected by string to a
disgusting substance, even when there is no way it could contaminate your
food). We show preparedness to associate disgust with particular types of
things and situations, such as contaminants that threaten the integrity of the
body or cause disease.
,Rank order three classes of explanations of the differences in attachment style among
babies. Describe each explanation type and why you ordered them as you did.
Evaluate evidence for each class of explanations.
Give this one a try later!
1. Genetic factors: biological parents and their children may share genes
that contribute to difficulties in perceiving or understanding social and
emotional information
- A mother who has trouble regulating her emotions might be more likely to
have a child with similar problems (because of the genes they share), and
those difficulties might lead both mother and child to overreact to stressful
situations, potentially increasing the likelihood of insecure attachment.
2. Parent effects: Parents' problems in perceiving and responding to social
cues can lead to more insecure attachments.
- One set of studies found that the less accurate a mother-to-be was at
perceiving distress related emotions in their infants but also in their
partners and own parents, the more likely her infant was to show insecure
attachments at age 12 months or older.
3. Child effects: children themselves might contribute to the formation of
insecure attachments. they may have traits that make them insecure or they
may behave in ways that cause their parents to respond in ways that
influence the child's attachment style, leading to a feedback loop
- Infants may have traits like extreme arousability or irritability or impulsivity
that affect their reactions to people and situations. These reactions, which
are based on their ability to self-regulate, may in turn affect how their
parents react to them. Thus, irritable infants can cause some mothers to be
less responsive, which in turn may influence the quality of attachments.
What is an alternative account to the Basic Emotions Theory of emotional
development? How are cross cultural and physiological factors relevant?
Give this one a try later!
, Functionalist (Campos and Sarni): emotions conceived as ways of
mobilizing ourselves to take action towards a goal.
1. disgust
2. fear
3. anger
4. sadness
Why might plants be special in the cognitive lives of human infants? Describe two
studies suggesting that they have a special cognitive status. How do you think these
two strands of research become intertwined with development?
Give this one a try later!
research on attachment styles using the Strange Situation. Do you think cross-cultural
Strange Situation studies reflect genuine cultural differences in attachment styles?
Discuss findings from two countries and interpret them in the context of the viewpoint
you present.
Give this one a try later!
The Strange Situation paradigm is a research tool developed by Mary
Ainsworth to assess attachment styles in infants and young children. It
examines an infant's reactions in certain unusual and mildly threatening
situations, both in the mother's presence and when the mother has left the
room, as well as how the child responds when the mother returns. The
child's reactions during these episodes are used to categorize their
attachment style into one of the three main categories: secure attachment,
anxious-ambivalent attachment, and avoidant attachment. A fourth
category, disorganized attachment has also been identified.
I do think cross- cultural strange situation studies reflect genuine cultural
differences in attachment styles. For example, the majority of German
infants studied in the Strange Situation were measured as insecurely
attached (mostly avoidant, or Type A). This could be because in some parts
, of Germany, child rearing often emphasizes early independence from
adults. If these children are more accustomed to seperations and more
frequently exposed to strangers, those experiences could easily lead to a
greater inceidence of type A responses.
Japanese infants showed no avoidant attachments whatsoever, and they
were almost three times as likely as their American counterparts to show
anxious attachments. This could be because in most Japanese house-holds,
early seperation of the mother from the child is strongly discouraged.
Japanese infants are usually inclose proximity to thier mothers for longer
periods of time than infants in other cultures.
Describe how fear might be an emotion that does not obey principles of association
or statistical learning. Describe in detail the experimental evidence suggesting ways
in which associative principles seem to fail. Discuss whether such cases that override
association might apply to other emotions, considering at least one other emotion in
some detail. Why?
Give this one a try later!
Fear is a "prepared" emotion: it is innately linked to certain stimuli or events
or environments.
classic case of the snake and the car door: one day a girl sees a snake and
finds it interesting. later that day she hurts her hand on her family's car door,
and developed a strong phobia of snakes.- she associated the experience
of pain and trauma with the snake even tho she saw the snake before the
accident. this runs counter to principles of classical conditioning, which
predicts stronger learned associations between events that happen closer
together in space and time. the snake had nothing to do with her pain, yet
she automatically associated the two together.
Disgust: disgust is about ensuring that nothing harmful comes near you/you
don't ingest anything harmful (ex: plate of food connected by string to a
disgusting substance, even when there is no way it could contaminate your
food). We show preparedness to associate disgust with particular types of
things and situations, such as contaminants that threaten the integrity of the
body or cause disease.
,Rank order three classes of explanations of the differences in attachment style among
babies. Describe each explanation type and why you ordered them as you did.
Evaluate evidence for each class of explanations.
Give this one a try later!
1. Genetic factors: biological parents and their children may share genes
that contribute to difficulties in perceiving or understanding social and
emotional information
- A mother who has trouble regulating her emotions might be more likely to
have a child with similar problems (because of the genes they share), and
those difficulties might lead both mother and child to overreact to stressful
situations, potentially increasing the likelihood of insecure attachment.
2. Parent effects: Parents' problems in perceiving and responding to social
cues can lead to more insecure attachments.
- One set of studies found that the less accurate a mother-to-be was at
perceiving distress related emotions in their infants but also in their
partners and own parents, the more likely her infant was to show insecure
attachments at age 12 months or older.
3. Child effects: children themselves might contribute to the formation of
insecure attachments. they may have traits that make them insecure or they
may behave in ways that cause their parents to respond in ways that
influence the child's attachment style, leading to a feedback loop
- Infants may have traits like extreme arousability or irritability or impulsivity
that affect their reactions to people and situations. These reactions, which
are based on their ability to self-regulate, may in turn affect how their
parents react to them. Thus, irritable infants can cause some mothers to be
less responsive, which in turn may influence the quality of attachments.
What is an alternative account to the Basic Emotions Theory of emotional
development? How are cross cultural and physiological factors relevant?
Give this one a try later!
, Functionalist (Campos and Sarni): emotions conceived as ways of
mobilizing ourselves to take action towards a goal.
1. disgust
2. fear
3. anger
4. sadness
Why might plants be special in the cognitive lives of human infants? Describe two
studies suggesting that they have a special cognitive status. How do you think these
two strands of research become intertwined with development?
Give this one a try later!
