Attachment Evaulation Flashcards
Evaluation of caregiver infant interactions
Strength- filmed in lab controlled conditions good inter rater reliability and validity
Limitation- hard to interpret baby’s behaviour lack coordination difficult to understand perspective of child cannot be certain
Limitation- observing doesn’t tell us importance may be phenomena but doesn’t tell purpose or importance in development
Evaluation of schaffers stage of attachment
Strength- good external validity observations made by parents no distraction behave more naturally
Limitation- validity of measures in asocial stage may show anxiety in subtle ways
Strength - RWA application to day care stage 1+2 easy starting day care after may be problematic
Evaluation of role of the father
Limitation- findings vary - grossman said play and stimulation studies show children lacking father don’t develop differently from children in 2 parent heterosexual relationships
Strength- used to offer advice to parents fathers capable of becoming primary attachment and lesbian couples informed it’s ok reduce parental anxiety
Evaluation of Lorenz research
Strength- supporting research lorenz imprinting moving shape chicks followed - supports innate imprinting mechanism
Limitation - cannot generalise to humans emotional and more complex
Evaluation of harlows research
Strength- RWA helps social workers understand that a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in child development. Importance of figure in zoos and breeding programmes in wild
Limitation- ethical issues develop maternal deprivation killed offspring antisocial etc
Evaluation of learning theory
Limitation - lack of support from other studies harlows monkeys no support w food always seek comfort
Limitation - lack of support from human studies Schaffer and Emerson mainly mothers even if didn’t feed them
Strength- some aspects useful baby may feel comfort and warm in presence of particular adult which they chose as main attachment figure
Evaluation of Bowlbys monotropic theory
Limitation:monotropy lacks validity Schaffer and Emerson found significant minority multiple attachments same time incorrect that there’s a unique quality child’s attachment
Strength: evidence supporting social releases some ignore baby lie motionless and distressed
Strength: support for internal working model - Bailey 99 mothers measured attachment to own mothers found that attachment quality reflected upon how they mother
Evaluation of strange situation
Strength - outcome predicts aspects of babies later development those secure are less likely to be bullied and form good relationships and better mental health type c= worst
Strength- inter rater reliability Bick et al 94% agreement - controlled conditions and easy to observe behaviours
Limitation- culture bound Japanese study takahashi suggests high insecure resistant was due to the unusual nature of mother baby separation in Japan
Evaluation of cultural variations
Strength- research was carried out by indigenous psychologists avoid misunderstanding and difficulties communicating and bias enhance valid
Limitation- confounding variable on findings eg poverty/social class and environmental variables play a part eg distractions
Limitation- impose a western test to other cultures - imposed etic Germany high avoidant praised child having independence meaningless comparison
Evaluation of Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation
Limitation- flawed evidence of the thief study bias interviewing families influenced by other studies that lacked validity wartime orphanages
Limitation- confusion between different types of early experience deprivation more likely to be privation failure to form any attachment
Limitation- 2.5 years contrast evidence suggest good quality aftercare can prevent most of this damage Czech twins recovered comply by teens -sensitive period instead
Evaluation on orphan studies
Strength- research application to improve children outside home- how to prevent worst effects improvements in care system - more foster or adopted - normal attachment
Strength- lack of confounding variables Romanian orphans handed over by parents who couldn’t care for the less likely to cause by trauma
Limitation- lack of evidence on adult development no data on long term effects eg mental health problems etc
Evaluation of effects on later development
Strength- supporting evidence reviews of evidence prove better attachment better life and those w disorganised related to mental disorders
Limitation- influence of attachment is that early attachment assessed retrospectively- may be lying or adult attachment may be different to as it was as a child
