What is Attachment ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Attachment - A close two-way emotional bond between two individuals in which each sees the other as essential for there own emotional security
What behaviours do babies display ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Proximity - Try and stay physically close to those they are attached
Seperation Anxiety - Distressed when attachment figure leaves their presence
Secure Base Behaviour - Infants regularly return to their attachment figure while playing.
Explain Interactional Synchrony ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Interactional Synchrony - When infant and mothers mirror eachothers actions and emotions
Meltzoff & Moore - observed interactional synchrony at 2 years old - Adult displayed 3 facial features and actions
Findings - association between adults expression and gestures and infant’s actions
Define and Explain Reciprocity ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Reciprocity - An interaction where each person responds to the others signals and elicits response from them (take turns)
From 3 months interactions become more frequent and involve close attention to eachothers facial expressions and verbal signals
Brazleton et al - Described this as a dance
Cant be certain observations - doesnt tell us purpose
Evaluation - Limitation - Hard to Know Whats Happening When Observing Infants ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Point - Difficult to be certain on observations, as its unknown whats happening from the childs perspective.
Further - Fedman using observations to test reciprocity and interactional synchrony doesnt tell us there purpose
Mother-infant interactions well controlled - babies dont care if observe
Evaluation - Strength - Controlled Observations Capture Fine Detail ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Point - Mother-infant interactions are well controlled with multiple camera angles, small and fine details of behaviour can be recorded.
Further - Babies dont know or care if there being filmed and observed therefore they dont experience demand characteristics or investigator effects
Still face experiment, babies aren’t passive - higher levels synchrony
Evaluation - Strength - Research Support for Caregiver Infant Interactions ?
(Caregiver Infant Interactions)
Point - Tronick Et Al’s still face experiment where mothers were told to stop interacting with babies signals. Baby then became distressed and tried to get mothers attention showing babies are not passive when interacting with caregivers
Further - Isabella Et Al stated that those with higher levels of synchrony had better attachment, suggesting its useful for the developement of mother infant interactions
What was the aim and procedure of Schaffer and Emerson’s study ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Aim - To ivestigate formation of early attachments.
What age they develop
Emotional Intensity
Who they were directed towards
Method:
60 babies - 31 male, 29 females - Glasgow, working class families
Babies and mums visited monthly for the first year and once at 18 months
Mothers asked about response to unfamiliar adults and leaving the room
What were the findings of Schaffer and Emersons study ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Findings:
Between 25 to 32 weeks 50% babies showed seperation anxiety to adult
Attachement towards caregiver who was most interective and sensitive to facial expressions
Conclusion - 4 stages of attchement
Explain the asocial stage of attachment ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Stage 1 - Asocial - First few weeks
- Behaviour towards objects and humans similar
- Preference for familiar adults
- Happier in presence of humans
Explain the indiscriminate stage of attachment ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Stage 2 - Indiscriminate Attachment - 2-7 Months
- Display observable social behaviour
- Preference for humans
- Recognise familiar adults
- No stranger anxiety
- indiscriminate attachment
Explain the specific stage of attachment ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Stage 3 - Specific Attachement - From 7 months
- start to display stranger anxiety
- Anxious when seperated from primary attachment figure
- Has a specific attachment
Explain the multiple stage of attachemnt ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Stage 4 - Multiple Attacments - Up to 1 Year
- has multiple attachments
- Spends regular time with secondary attachments
babies observed by mothers - lacks internal validity
Evaluations - Strength - Good Ecological Validity ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Point - behaviour of babies unlikely to be affected by presence of observer. Babies were observed by mothers in their own home.
Counter - Lacks internal validity because mothers (untrained psychologists) were the observers of the behaviour and some may be more or less sensitive to babies actions
Babies in collectivist form multiple - culture bias
Evaluation - Limitation - Cultural differneces in attachment ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Point - Van Ijsendoorn found babies in collectivist cultures where multiple caregivers is the norm babies formed multiple attchaments from the outset. This is contradictory top Schaffer and Emerson.
I&D - Study has culture bias as ignores cultural differneces. Is also ethnocentric by assuming findings from western cultures can be applied all over the world.
longditudinal study - lacks population and temporal validity
Evaluation - Strength - Longitudinal study ?
(Schaffer and Emerson)
Point - Study was carried out longditudinally meaning study followed the same students for a long period of time.
Counter - Study lacks population and temporal validity. The sample was from the same working class and area. Study was carried out in the 60s and infant interactions have changed.
What are the reasons for mother to be the primary attachment figure ?
(Role of The Father)
- Men may not be psychologically equipped to form intense attachment as they lack sensitivity
Grossman - Found that children had a higher quality of attachment with mothers throughout teens and early stages suggesting father is unimportant
Why is father seen as secondary attachment ?
(Role of The Father)
Father play a different more playful role
Geiger - Father is an exciting playmate
Lamb - Children prefer interacting with fathers when in a positive emotional state seeking stimulation
How can a father become a primary attachment figure ?
(Role of The Father)
Fathers assingle parents - Fathers adopt behaviours more typical of mothers
Primary attachment figure fathers smiled, imitated, and held babies more than secondary attachment figures
Children with same-sex parent develop normal - fathers playmates
Explain - Limitation - Counter evidence suggests fathers have no significant role ?
(Role of The Father)
Point - MacCallum and Golombok, children growing up in same-sex lone parent do not develop differently,even with the lack of stimulation.
Further - Geiger suggests that fathers are merely playmates and not a sensitive parent who responds to their childs needs
women perform majority child rearing - alpha bias
Explain - Limitation - Socially sensitive towards mothers ?
(Role of The Father)
Point - Research suggests fathers are simply for play and stimulation. This means women perform majority of the child rearing. This could lead to bias in child custody divorce cases.
I&D - Example of alpha bias, as research into the role of the father mainly exxagerates the differences between the roles of males and females in childhood
Father not significant - men with high marital, increase secure attach
Explain - Limitation - Mothers role is more significant ?
(Role of The Father)
Point - Bowlby’s monotropic theory states mother is most important in terms of furture outcomes. Fathers role does not seem to be more significant in long term.
Further - Belskey et al suggets males can form secure attachements with their children but the strength of the attachment depends on their marital relationship. Those with higher marital intimacy form secure attachments with their children
Explain Lorenz study ?
(Animal Studies)
Aim - To discover if young geese will imprint on other species
Procedure - randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs
half stayed with natural mother
half saw Lorenz as their first moving object
Findings - Lorenz group followed him everywhere and ignored biological mother
Conclusion - Bird species attach to first moving object they see
Explain sexual imprinting ?
(Animal Studies)
The adult mate prefernces of the geese lorenz imprinted on were humans
Case study - Peacock was birthed were the first moving thing it saw was a tortoise
The peacock then showed courtship behaviour towards tortoises in adulthood
This means the peacock underwent sexual imprinting
imprint on glove - imprinting is not permanent
Evaluation - Strength - Research support for imprinting ?
(Animal Studies)
Point - Guiton exposed chicks to a yellow rubber glove, so that they imprinted on the glove. Male chickens then tried to imprint on the glove.
Counter - Guiton found that imprinting is not permanent and is irreversible. If an animal spent enough time with its own species they displayed normal sexual behaviour.
mammilian attachment systems different - lack external validity
Evaluation - Limitation - Lack of external validity ?
(Animal Studies)
Point - There is an issue when generalising the findings from birds to humans as mammalian attachement systems are different from birds
Explain Harlow’s monkey studies aim and procedure ?
(Animal Studies)
Aim - To test importance of contact comfort to attachement
Procedure - Created to wire mothers (One wrapped in soft cloth)
16 baby monkeys
Condition 1 - Wire mother dispensed milk
Condition 2 - Cloth mother dispensed milk
Recorded who they went to when frightened and who they spent the most time with
Explain findings and conclusion of Harlow’s monkey study ?
(Animal Studies)
Findings - All monkeys spent most time with cloth mother
Monkeys that had wire mother dispensing milk would onoly go to wire mother for milk
When frightened went to cloth mother
Conclusion - Infants don’t develop attachments to the person feeding them but the one offering contact comfort
Explain the consequences of maternal deprivation on Harlow’s monkeys ?
(Animal Studies)
Harlow followed monkeys into adulthood
Findings - Monkeys reared with only wire mother were most dysfunctional.
Monkeys were less sociable, more aggressive and bred less
Some neglected or attacked there young resulting in death
Critical period for normal developement in monkeys is 90 days
increase understanding mother infant interactions - practical applicatio
Evaluation - Strength - Theoretical Value ?
(Animal Studies)
Point - Harlow’s findings gave psychologists better understanding of human mother-infant interaction. Shows attachement develops through contact comfort.
Further - Practical application of childworkers understanding the risks of child neglect and abuse more leading to them trying harder to intervene.
Monkeys suffered - cost benefit analysis
Evaluation - Limitation - Ethical Issues ?
(Animal Studies)
Point - Monkeys suffered as part of the study. They are similar enough to humans that findings can be generalised and that suffering was quite-human like
Counter I&D - Using cost benefit analysis, Harlows research could be considered sufficiently important to justify the effects of maternal deprivation. study has been used to offer better care for human infants.
Why is learning theory reffered to as ‘‘cupboard love’’ approach ?
(Learning Theory)
Dollard and Millers - Learning theory - Suggests children learn to love whoever feeds them
What is the drive in learning theory ?
(Learning Theory)
Hunger is a Primary Drive – it is an innate, biological motivator
Attachment is a secondary drive learned by association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive
How is classical conditioning used in learning theory ?
(Learning Theory)
Neutral Stimulus – caregiver
Unconditioned Stimulus – Food
Unconditioned Response – pleasure from being fed
Conditioned Stimulus – caregiver after some time – the same person provides food over and over, they become associated with food
Conditioned Response – once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a conditioned response of pleasure
How is operant conditioning used in learning theory ?
(Learning Theory)
Posititve Reinforcement:
Babies cry in front of caregiver as it results in getting food
Negative Reinforcement:
When babies cry caregiver receives negative reinforcement as babies crying is irritatitng
Mokeys attached to soft mother - human research Schaffer/Emerson
Evaluation - Limitation - Contradictory research ?
(Learning Theory)
Point - Monkeys attached to soft mother rather than wire mother who dispensed milk
Further Research - Counter-evidence from human research - Schaffer and Emerson found babies developed attachment to biological mothers even when other people did most of the feeding.
Claims best attachement with sensitive carers - Reductionist
Evaluation - Limitation - Ignores other factors in attachment ?
(Learning Theory)
Point - Quality pf attachment is associated with interactional synchrony and reciprocity and the best attachments are with sensitive carers
I&D - Reductionist because learning theory reduces the complex notion of attachment to a set of probabilities. It is too simplistic and narrow explanation of attachment. Holistic approach is needed.
Doesnt explain why they form - Bowolby claim attachment due to evolution
Evaluation - Limitation - Learning theory only explain how attachemnt forms and not why ?
(Learning Theory)
Point - Bowlby’s theory of attachment explains why and how attachments form whereas learning theory only explains how they form
Further - Bowbly’s theory suggests attachment occurs because of evolution whereas learning theory suggest no reason for attachment occuring. Bowlby’s theory also suggests impacts on future relationships.
What is bowlby’s theory of attachment with one person ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Bowlby believed that a child’s attachment to one cargiver (Mother) is differnt and more important than
Why did Bowlby suggest a child has to be with ‘‘mother’’ figure ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
The law of continuity - The more constant and predictable a childs care, the better the quality of attachment
The law of accumulated seperation - the affects of seperation from the mother add up, whereby being seperated for to lonmg can have damaging effects
How are special attachemnts to one person formed ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Babies are born with a set of innate ‘‘cute’’ behaviours
These behaviours activate the adult attachment system -> making them feel love towards the baby
Interplay between infant and adult attachment systems gradually builds the relationship
What is a critical period ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Critical period is the timeframe a baby has to form an attachment
Human critical period is 2 years according to Bowlby
If not formed infant may struggle to form attachments in the future
Draw the internal working model ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Define and explain internal working model ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Internal working model - a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary caregiver
Serves as a model for what relationships are like – influences a child’s future relationships
Affects a child’s ability to be a parent later on
Schaffer/Emerson baby attachement - Unclear if first attachment unique
Evaluation - Limitation - Contradicting evidence for monotropy ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Point - Schaffer and Emerson found most babies did not attach to one person first. Also a significant minority could form multiple attachments at the same time
Further - Unclear whether first attachment is unique. Attachment to primary attachment figure may just be stronger than othersand not different in quality
Burman claims places responsibility mothers - Bias custody cases
Evaluation - Limitation - Monotropy is a socially sensitive idea ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Point - Burman claims this places a burden of responsibility on mothers. This sets mothers up to take blame for anything that goes wrong in the rest of the childs life while potentially pushing them out of work.
I&D - Socially sensitive theory as it has consequences for a class of individuals. Could lead to a bias and mothers granted custody in divorce cases.
Tronick et al baby distressed when ignored - Bailey attachement passed o
Evaluation - Strength - Research support for Bowlby’s explanation ?
(Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory)
Point - Tronick et al - research support for social releasers, when mother ignored babies social releasers, babies became distressed and some responded by lying motionless to grab attention
Further - Bailey et al - Research support for internal working models. Study conducted on 99 mothers with 1 year old, showed that mothers with poor attachement to their mother were more likely to have poor attachment with babies
What was the aim and procedure of the strange situation study ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
Aim - Observe key attachment behaviours to assess quality of a childs attachment.
Procedure - Controlled observation, in a room with a two way mirror
Sample of 100 American middle class
Behaviours tested:
Proximity Seeking - good attachment stays fairly close to caregiver
Exploration and Secure-base behaviour - good attachment enables child to feel confident to explore using caregiver as a secure base
Stranger Anxiety - a sign of attachment is to display anxiety when a stranger approaches
Separation Anxiety - a sign of attachment is to protest at separation from the caregiver
Response to Reunion - with the caregiver after separation for a short period of time
How were the behaviours in ainsworth study tested ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
What were the 3 types of attachment Ainsworth identified ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
Secure Attachment (Type B) -
Shows moderate of all behaviours
Requires and accepts comfort in reunion stage
Insecure-Avoident Attachment (Type A) -
Doesnt show any of the behaviours
Doesnt require comfort in reunion stage
Insecure-Resistant Attachment (Type C) -
Shows high levels of all behaviours
Resists comfort when reunited
Cultural differece child experience = different responses - culture bias
Evaluation - Limitation - Lacks population validity ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
Point - Cultural differences in childhood experiences likely to mean children respond differently to strange situation and caregivers from different cultures will repond differrently. Takahashi tested in Japan and found securely attached children have high seperation anxiety
I&D - Culture bias as the experiment reflects norms and values of the US culture. For example German mothers are seen as cold and rejecting rather than encouraging interdependance in children - ethnocentrism. Ainsworth imposed her own cultural understanding on rest of the world which is imposed etic
Attachement predictor of later development - environmental determinism
Evalution - Strength - Can explain future outcomes for children ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
Point - Attachement is strongly predicitve of later development. Secure typically have better outcomes like success at school and romance whereas Insecure-Resistant Attachment is associated with the worst outcomes such as bullying and mental health problems
I&D - Suggesting there are fixed outcomes is environmental determinism
Main/Soloman Insecure Disorganised - Van Ijzendoorn 15% (Type D)
Evaluation - Limitation - Does not identify all types of attachment ?
(Ainsworth Strange Situation)
Point - Main and Soloman analysed over 200 strange situation studies and proposed Insecure-Disorganised (Type D). They lack consistent patterns of social behaviour, where caregivers are a soure of fear when they should be a source of comfort
Further - Van Ijezendoorn et al’s meta analysis US found that 15% were insecure-disorganised
What was Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s studies aims and procedure ?
(Cultural Variations)
Aim:
To find variations between different cultures
To find the variation within each culture
Procedure:
Meta-Analysis of 32 studies in 8 different countries
15 were from USA
sample size of 1990
What did Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg find and conclude from there study ?
(Cultural Variations)
Findings:
Secure most common attachment type in all countries - Ranging from UK 75% to China 50%
Insecure-Resistant least common in most countires except Japan and Israel - Ranging from UK 3% to Israel 30%
Insecure-Avoidant found most in Germany and Japan
Conclusion:
Secure is the norm in a wide range of cultures supporting Bowlby’s theory
However cultural practices do have an influence on attachment type
Van Ijzendoorn combined results - Culture bias/imposed etic
Evaluation - Strength - High internal validity ?
(Cultural Variations)
Point - Van Ijzendoorn combined the results of attachment studies amounting to a large sample of 1990 infants
However - This is culture bias as the strange situation was desighned by an American and based on British theory. Also suffers from imposed etic as tries to apply Anglo-American theories
Grossman x2 German infants insecure - Takahashi infants Japan response
Evaluation - Limitation - Contradictory research ?
(Cultural Variations)
Point - Grossman and Grossman found that German infants tended to be classed as insecure rather than secure. This could be due to different child rearing practices emphasizing keeping some interpersonal distance between parents and children.
Further - Takahashi studied 60 Japanese infants and mothers and found that infants were so distressed when left alone study was stopped 90% of the time
Van Ijzendoorn compared countries not cultures - Sagi Tokyo similar west
Evaluation - Limitation - the samples in the studies used by Van Ijzendoorn are not representative of the culture ?
(Cultural Variations)
Point - Comparisons by Van Ijzendoorn were between countries not cultures of which there are many different cultures in each different country each with diffferent child-rearing practices.
Further - Van Ijzendoorn and Sagi found attachment in Tokyo was similar to western cultures whereas more rural samples had an overepresentation of Insecure-resistant.
Define seperation and explain how it effects infants ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Seperation - Not being in the presence of the primary attachment figure
Speration is only an issue if the child becomes deprived of an element of their care
Extended seperations can lead to emotional and intellectual impacts
How is intellectual development effected when a child is deprived of care ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Children deprived for too long in the critical period (30 months) suffered delayed intellectial development
Normally characterised by a low IQ (under 80)
How is emotional development impacted when a child is deprived of care ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Bowlby identified ‘Affectionless Psychopathy’ as the inability to feel guilt or strong emotions for others
This prevents a person from developing relationships with others and is linked with criminality
Affectionless pychopaths cannot appreciate feelings of victims so they lack remorse for there actions
What was the aim and procedure of Bowlby’s 44 theives study ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Aim:
To identify a link between affectionless psyco-athy and maternal deprivation
Procedure:
44 Theives interviwed for sighns of AP. Families interviewed to see if the theives had experienced prolonged early seperations
Control group of non-criminal (Disturbed young people) was set up to see how often maternal deprivation occured in children who were not theives
What were the findings and conclusion of Bowlby’’s 44 theives study ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Findings :
14/44 theives could be described as APs
12 od the 14 had experienced prolonged seperation from mother in first 2 years
Only 5/30 remaining had experienced seperations
2/44 from control group had expereinced long seperations
Conclusion:
Prolonged early seperation / deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy
Hospital care, prolonged seperation - Lewis 44 theives recreation
Evaluation - Strength - Real world application
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - The theory has had a major effect on care of children in hospitals, originally parents were discouraged or forbidden from seeing newborn. This has changed greatly due to the potential emotional and intellectual damage that prolonged seperation causes.
Counter - Lewis recreated 44 theives study with 500 young people. She found history of prolonged seperation from mother did not predict criminality or difficulty forming close relationships.
Goldfarb lower IQ orphans institutions - Used WW2 children evidence flaw
Evaluation - Strength - Research support for impact on intellectual development ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - Goldfarb followed 30 orphans and found lower IQ in those that stayed in institutions compared to those who were fostered and had a higher standard of emotional care
Counter - Goldfarb’s study used children in the WW2, this means his evidence was flawed as children were traumatised and often had poor after-care. Therefore these factors may have been developmental problems not seperation.
Kulochova twin study boys made full recovery - MD environmental deter
Evaluation - Limitation - Critical period is more of a sensitive period ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - Use of the term ‘‘critical’’ suggests damage from prolonged seperation is inevitable if occured within that period. Whereas Kulochova’s study were twin boys were isolated from mother between 18months to 7 yrs, and went on to make a full recovery suggests otherwise
I&D - Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation is an example of environmental determinism as it claims those who have experienced deprivation in early childhood are doomed to bad outcomes
What is the definition of institutionalisation ?
(Romanian Orphans)
Institutionalisation - the effects of living in an institute where there is little emotional care provided
What was the aim and procedure of Rutter et al’s research into Romanian orphanages ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Aim:
to investigate the impact that living in institutional care has on children and whether good care can make up for poor early experiences
Procedure:
Followed 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain
Control group of 52 British adopted children
Physical, cognitive and emotional development assesed at 4, 6, 11 and 15
What were the findings and concusions of Rutter et al’s Romanian orphan research ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Findings:
Intellectual Development -
when first assesed 1/2 showed delayed intellectual development
at 11 - showed different rates of recovery based off age adopted
Mean IQ (before 6 months) - 102
Mean IQ (between 6 months and 2 yrs) - 86
Mean IQ (after 2 years) - 77
differences remained at 16 years old
Those adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment
Conclusion:
Failure to form attachment in 6 months appears to have long lasting effects. Effects are greater after 2 yrs. Supports critical period theory.
What was the aims and procedures of Zenah et al’s study into romanian orphans ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Aim:
measure the attachment of those who had lived in intstitutional care
Procedure:
Strange situation test on
95 Romanian children who spent most of there time in orphanages
50 children who had never experienced institutional care
What were the findings and conclusions of Zenah et al’s study on Romanian orphans ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Findings:
Only 19% of institutionalised group wee securely attached
44% of institutionalised grouped had characteristics of disinhibited attachment
Conclusion:
Growing up in institutional care causes disinhibited attachment
What are the effects of intstitutionalisation ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Disinhibited attachment - children do not discriminate between people chosen as attachment figures - will treat near strangers with innapropriate familiarity and may be attention seeking.
Caused by living with multiple caregivers at senstitive age
Mental retardation - Children adopted after 6 months have signs of having very low IQ.
Orphns hadnt trauma = no confounding variables - cant be generalised
Exvaluation - Strength - Few extraneous variables ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - Romanian orphans had not suffered any trauma therefore when studying the effects of instititutionalisation in isolation the study was not effected by confounding variables
Counter - Romanian orphanages were not typical and had such bad conditions that results cant be applied to institutional care, as some institutions will have better facilities and better care
study only follows orphans to mid-teens - environmental determinism
Evaluation - Weakness - Long term effects remain unclear ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - The studies are longitudinal but only follow orphans into mid-teens which is too soon to say if children suffered short or long term effects. Those who lag behind may catch up in adulthood and those that appear to have no issues may experience emotional issues as adults
I&D - Suffers from environmental determinism as suggets that those adopted after 6 months will develop emotional and intellectual defecits regardless of quality of care
Improvments in care of children institutions - encourages early adoption
Evaluation - Strength - Real life application ?
(Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation)
Point - Enhanced understanding of institutionalisation has led to improvments in the way children are cared for in institutions. Orphanages now avoid having a large number of caregivers and ensure a smaller number play a central role for the child. This gives children the opportunity to form normal attachments.
Further - Has had an affect on encouraging early adoption. In the past mothers were encouraged to nurse the baby for a period of time before adoption which could be after sensitive period had passed. Now babies are normally adopted within the first week of birth.
What did Kearns study and what were his findings ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Study:
Friendships in childhood
Findings:
Securely attached infnats form strongest relationships
Insecurely attached infants struggle to form friendships
What did Myron-Wilson & Smith study and what were their findings ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Study:
Studied bullying, looked at 196 children from London
Findings:
Securely attached children unlikely to be bullied
Insecure-Avoidant (Type A) = Victim
Insecure-Resistant (TypeC) = Bully
What did Mccarthy study and what did he find ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Study:
Romantic friendships and relationships 40 women
Findings:
Securely attached had best adult relationships and friendships
Insecure-Avoidant (Type A) = Struggle with intimacy
Inseure-Resistant (Tye C) = Struggle to maintain
What did Hazan & Shaver study and what did they find ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Study:
Romantic relationships, 620 replies to love quiz
Findings:
Securely attached experience long lasting relationships
Insecure-Avoidant (Type A) = Reveal jealousy and fear of intimacy
What did Bailey et al study and what did they find ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Study:
99 mothers and their attachments to their babies using strange situation
Findings:
Babies had same attachment types as mothers
cannot claim cause/effect as other factor involved - population/temporal
Evaluation - Limitation - Research is correlational ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Point - Research is correlational and not experimental meaning you cant claim cause and effect that, early attachemnt types effect relationships later in life. There could be other factors such as parenting style which could have a direct impact on childrens ability to form relationships
Further - Studies are not representative of population. Myron-Wilson and Smith looked at a 196 children located in London during the 80s meaning findings may be difficult to generalise to urban areas and the study lacks temporal validity due to greater social awareness
Test technique lead to innacurate information - internal WM unconscious
Evaluation - Limitation - Studies lack internal validity ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Point - Most studies assess infant caregiver attachment using a questionnaire or interview when participants are older. This creates validity issues as participants may not fully understand their attachment type and may not have accurate recollection.
Further - Internal working models are unconscious meaning we are unaware of their influence. This means we cannot gather data as people can only report what there conscious of.
Poor early attachement effects exaggerated - environmental determinism
Evaluation - Limitation - The effect of early attachment on later relationships may be overestimated ?
(Influence of Early Attachments)
Point - Poor early attachments may just be a risk factor to later relationships and there effects may have been exaggerated.
I&D - Studies suffer from environmental determinsim as it claims that very early experiences have a fixed outcome later in life
