Paper 1 - Attachment Flashcards
1
Q
Caregiver + infant interactions - Reciprocity: (taking in turns)
A
- Jaffe - Babies move in rhythm when interacting with an adult almost as if they are taking it in turns.
- Brazleton - Interaction described as a ‘dance’ where each partner responds to each other’s moves.
2
Q
Caregiver + Infant interactions - Interactional Synchrony: (Mirror actions)
A
- Meltzoff + Moore - Interactional Synchrony begins as young as 2 weeks.
- An adult displays one of 3 facial expressions and one of 3 gestures child’s response was filmed and identified by an independent observer.
- An association was found between the expression the adult had displayed and the actions of the baby.
3
Q
Weakness: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony:
A
Individual differences may influence the findings of the research as research found that more strongly attached infant and caregiver pairs showed greater interactional synchrony. Therefore, this questions the validity of the explanation of interactional synchrony as it suggests a correlation between causality of signals and synchrony off an action.
4
Q
Weakness: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony:
A
There are problems with testing on infants as infant’s mouths are in fairly constant motion and the expressions tested occur frequently. E.g. a baby may smile at a teddy bear or toy they play with so it is difficult to distinguish between general activity and imitated behaviour. Therefore, this questions the validity of the research because it is difficult to establish the relationship between the cause and effect.
5
Q
Strength: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony:
A
A strength of this research is that it used controlled observations. Observations of mother and infant interactions are well controlled procedures which are often films so fine detail of behaviour can be recorded and analysed. Also, babies don’t know they are being observed or care which means their behaviour is natural. Therefore, this adds to the validity of the research because the babies don’t know they are being observed so they won’t change their natural behaviour. Therefore, the researcher can be sure they are measuring what they intended to measure.
6
Q
Weakness: Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony:
A
Observations describe the behaviour but don’t explain the behaviour. Feldman points out that reciprocity and interactional synchrony simply describe behaviours that occur at the same time. Observations don’t tell us their purpose or why babies demonstrate these behaviors. This questions the validity of the research because it does not exactly explain how and why recent interactions between infants therefore, the research is unable to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
7
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: AIM
A
- The age at which infants became attached.
- Who they became attached to.
- Whether it is possible to develop multiple attachments.
8
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: METHOD
A
Schaffer + Emerson conducted a Longitudinal study on 60 working class Glaswegain infants. They visited children at monthly intervals in their homes for the 1st year. They observed their interactions with their caregivers - then caregivers were interviewed about the infant’s behaviour. They measured it through separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.
9
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: stage 1
A
. Stage 1 - (Asocial stage 1st week) Babies behaviour towards humans and objects is similar and are happier in the presence of other humans.
10
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Stage 2
A
. Stage 2 - (Indiscriminate attachment 2-7 months) Babies usually accept cuddles + comfort from ANY adult don’t show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety.
11
Q
Strength: Stages of attachment:
A
Schaffer and Emerson’s study was carried out in families’ homes and most of the observations were done by the parents. Therefore, the behaviour of the babies was unlikely to be affected by the presence of an observer. This adds to the external validity of the research because the research findings can be generalised to other settings which increases the ecological validity.
11
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Stage 3
A
. Stage 3 - (Specific attachment around 7 months) Babies being able to show stranger anxiety and become anxious when separated from one particular adult - usually biological mother.
Sensitive responsiveness who offers most interaction.
12
Q
Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Stage 4
A
. Stage 4 - (Multiple attachments from 8 months) Babies can gain secondary attachments to other adults they spend time with E.g. grandparents + siblings.
13
Q
Weakness: Stages of attachment:
A
The sample used was unrepresentative as the sample was from a working-class population from Scotland and took place in the 1960s and parental care has changed since then, and more mothers go to work now. Child rearing practice vary from culture to culture and from time to time. If both parents go to work this could cause the baby to make multiple attachments from a much earlier age. This questions the external validity of Schaffer’s stages of attachment because it is difficult to generalise to other social and historical context.
13
Q
Weakness: Stages of attachment:
A
Schaffer’s stages of attachment explanation is culturally relative. Psychologist who work in cultural contexts where multiple caregivers are the norm, believe babies from multiple attachments from the outset. Such cultures are called collectivist because families work together jointly in everything. This questions the validity of Schaffer’s explanation of attachment because you cannot be certain that the behavior would occur in all cultures as some cultures would deem them to be abnormal therefore, you cannot generalise the findings to one culture.
14
Q
Weakness: Stages of attachment:
A
There may be a problem with how multiple attachments are measured. Just because a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the room does not mean that the individual is a true attachment figure. Bowlby pointed out that children get distressed when a playmate leaves the room, but this does not signify attachment. This questions the validity of Schaffer and Emerson’s explanation of attachment because they do not provide a way to distinguish between behaviour shown towards secondary attachment figures and playmates.
15
Q
what is the key to attachment: Field
A
level of responsiveness not the gender of the parent
15
Q
The role of the father: Field’s assumption:
A
Primary caregiver fathers, like the mothers spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding infants than the secondary caregivers. This behaviour is important in building attachment with the infant and father (nurturing attachment figure)
16
Q
The role of the father: Geiger’s assumption:
A
Fathers have an important role to play as secondary attachment figures. Fathers are more playful, physically active, and generally better at providing challenging situations for their children (Father = exiting playmate) + (Mothers = conventional)
17
Q
what is key to attachment: Geiger
A
More present + physically active you become with your child will help you to form stronger bonds + connections
18
Q
The role of the father: Grossman’s assumption:
A
A study looking at both parents behaviour and its relationship to the quality of the children’s attachments in their teen. The quality of infant’s attachment with mothers but not fathers was related to children’s attachment in adolescence suggesting that father attachment is less important.
19
Q
What is key to attachment: Grossman
A
The role of the father is redundant
20
Q
Strength: The role of the father:
A
The role of the father may be important not just for the children but for the mother too. Supportive fathers provide mothers with much needed time away from childcare this helps reduce stress on the mother’s, improve self-esteem and ultimately improve the quality of a mother’s relationship with her children. This adds to the validity of the explanations of the role of the father because it suggests the role of the father is not as redundant as Grossman suggested.
21
Q
A01: Lorenz imprinting: Method
A
- Lorenz divided a clutch of eggs into 2 halves:
. 1st half was left to hatch with the mother (control group)
. 2nd half were hatched in an incubator, first moving thing they saw was Lorenz
22
Weakness: The role of the father:
There may be other factors influencing the role of the father in attachment. The fact that fathers tend not to become the primary attachment figure could simply be the results of traditional gender roles in which women are meant to be more caring and nurturing then men. Fathers may not feel that they should act like that. This questions the validity of the explanations of the role of the father because it refutes the idea that fathers can become the nurturing attachment figure.
23
Strength: The role of the father:
The role of the father may be important in helping to provide support co-parenting. Brown found that high levels of supportive co-parenting were related to secure attachment types between infants and fathers, but not between infants and mothers. This adds to the validity of the explanation of the role of the father because the relationship between the father and child is visibly stronger therefore, the mum wouldn't feel animosity towards the dad.
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Weakness: The role of the father:
There may be other factors influencing the role of the father in attachment. Children who grow up without fathers have often seen to do less well at school and have higher levels of risk taking and aggression. However, may of the families in these studies come from poor socio-economic backgrounds and it may be social factor related to poverty that produce these outcomes, not the absence of the father. This questions the validity of the explanations of the orle of the father because it ignores other risk factors that predict future bevahiour.
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A01: Lorenz imprinting: Results
- Control group: followed their mother goose everywhere whereas the 2nd group followed Lorenz. He marked the goslings when they hatched; each gosling went straight to it's 'mother figure'.
Lorenz identified a critical period in which imprinting needs to take place - depending on the species. If imprinting does not occur within that critical period, then chicks did not match themselves to a mother figure.
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A01: Harlow contact comfort: Method
- 16 monkeys were removed from their mothers immediately after birth and placed in cages with access to 2 surrogate mothers.
. 8 monkeys could get milk from the WIRE mother
. 8 monkeys could get milk from the CLOTH mother
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A01: Harlow contact comfort: Results
Both groups of monkeys spent more time with the cloth mother (because of the feeling of the cloth)
2nd group only if hungry went to the wire mum and then back to the cloth mum + if something frightening was placed in the cage the monkey took refuge with the cloth mum
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A01: Harlow contact comfort: Conclusion
Contact comfort (provided by the cloth mum) was more important than food in the formation of attachment
29
Weakness: Animal studies
There are problems with investigating animal behvaiour. Lorenzo was interested in imprinting birds and the attachment system of mammals and birds is quite different. Mammalian mums show more emotional attachment to young than birds do, and mammals may be able to form attachments at any time. This questions the validity of animal studies into attachment because it is difficult to generalise findings to humans.
30
Weakness: Animal studies
There are ethical issues surrounding animal research. Harlow in particular faced serve criticism for the ethics of his research. The monkeys suffered greatly as a result of Harlow's procedure. This species is considered similar enough to humans to be able to generalise the findings which also means that their suffering was presumably quite human-like. This questions the validity of animal studies into attachment because the monkeys went through a lot of suffering.
31
Weakness: Animal studies
There is evidence to contradict Lorenz's research. Research found that chicks imprinted on yellow washing up gloves would try to mate with them as adults, but that with experience they eventually learnt to prefer mating with other chickens. This questions the validity of animal studies into attachment because the impact of imprinting on mating behaviour is not as permanent as Lorenz believed.
32
Strength: Animal studies
There are practical applications to Harlow's research. Harlow showed that attachment does not develop as the result of being fed by a mother figure but as a result of contact comfort. Social workers have also used Harlow's research to understand risk factors in child neglect and abuse which means they can often intervene and try to prevent it. This adds to the validity if animal studies into attachment because they can help understand attachment in everyday life.
33
A01: Learning theory explanation of attachment - Assumption
Assumes that children become attached to their caregiver because they give them food 'cupboard love'
34
Learning theory explanation: How does the learning occur
learning theory uses both classical conditioning which is learning through association
+
Operant conditioning which is learning through consequence
35
A01: learning theory: Classical Conditioning
Child learns to associate the carer with food. Food = unconditioned stimulus associated with pleasure. At the start carer is a neutral stimulus. Overtime, when the carer regularly feeds the child becomes associated with the food and becomes a conditioned stimulus which evokes pleasure.
36
A01: Learning theory: Operant conditioning
If behaviour results in agreeable consequence it is likely to be repeated but if result is disagreeable it's likely to decline. If crying is a result of feeding, then the consequences are pleasant, and crying is reinforced. Most carers dislike hearing a baby cry, so crying id a negative reinforcer. Smiling by the child is very rewarding and is therefore a positive reinforcer for the carer so behaves in a way to evoke smiling. An attachment bond is formed between carer and child.
37
Weakness: Learning theory explanation of attachment
There is research evidence to contradict Learning Theory's explanation of attachment from animal studies of attachment. Harlow conducted landmark research on attachments Harlow had 2 conditions one wire monkey wrapped in cloth one without cloth 8 monkeys each. All monkeys always choose the cloth monkey. This questions the validity of Learning Theory's explanation of attachment because the findings suggest that infants do not develop an attachment to the person who feeds them but who offers them comfort.
38
Weakness: Learning theory explanation of attachment
The Learning Theory explanation of attachment is reductionist. Learning Theory ignores other factors that may be important in explaining attachment. Research suggests that the quality of attachment is associated with factors like developing reciprocity and good levels of interactional synchrony. If attachment developed purely because of feeding, then there would be no purpose for these well documented interactions. This questions the validity of Learning Theory's explanation of attachment because it is likely that attachment formation is much more complex with other factors such as contact comfort and stimulation also playing a role.
39
Weakness: Learning theory explanation of attachment
There is research evidence to contradict Learning Theory's explanation of attachment from Schaffer and Emerson. They conducted a longitudinal study on 60 Glaswegian infants, and they visited these infants at monthly intervals. By 18 months, nearly 30% had formed multiple attachment (siblings and grandparents). Attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby's signals "sensitive responsiveness". This questions the validity of the Learning Theory because the most important factor in forming attachments appears to not be who feeds the child but who plays, cuddles and communication with them.
40
Weakness: Learning theory explanation of attachment
Evidence suggests that there is a newer Learning Theory explanation for attachment. Comes from Social Learning Theory is based on the idea that behvaiour is acquired because of modelling observing behaviour. Research suggests that parents teach children to love them by modelling attachment behaviour e.g. by hugging them and other family members and instructing and rewarding them with approval when they display attachment behaviour of their own. This questions the validity of Learning Theory because attachments occur because parents deliberately teach their children to love them and to understand human relationships.
41
Bowlby's monotropic theory: How it explains attachment
- Attachment between caregiver and infant is rooted in biology and evolution
- attachment behaviour have become programmed into human behaviour
- purpose and function of survival is it increases chances of survival
41
Bowbly's key principles: Adaptive
Increases the chance of survival (we have learnt this)
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Bowbly's key principles: Social releasers
Babies are born with innate behaviors (smiling, cooing and griping)
43
Bowbly's key principles: Critical period
From 6 months -2 years infant attachment system is active Bowlby viewed this as a sensitive period if attachment isn't formed child will find it harder later on
44
Bowbly's key principles: Monotropy
One main caregiver (mother) the more time spent with the mother the Bette it is for their attachment
45
Strength: Bowlby's monotropic theory
There is evidence to support Bowlby's continuity hypothesis. A researcher carried out a longitudinal study and followed ppts from infants to adolescence and found continuity between early attachment and later behaviour. Individuals who were classified as secure in infancy were rated the highest for social competence, less isolated, more popular and empathy. This adds validity to Bowlby's explanation because it is one of his main principles therefore, there are explanations into attachment have high ecological validity.
45
Strength: Bowlby's monotropic theory
There is an alternative explanation for Bowlby's attachment explanation. Bowlby's theory of attachment explains WHY attachments form whereas Learning Theory only explains HOW attachments form. Bowlby's evolutionary theory of attachment also offers some advantages of attachment which include protection from harm and survival. This adds the validity of Bowlby's explanation because it describes a clear cause attachment and the effect it has on the person in the future relationships.
46
Bowbly's key principles: Internal working model
"Blue print" for suture relationships is formed. Based on future experiences they expect all relationships to be loving and reliable
47
Weakness: Bowlby's monotropic theory
There is research evidence to contradict Bowlby's Theory. Researchers conducted a longitudinal study on 60 Glaswegian infants they visited the children at monthly intervals in their home and observed their interactions with their caregivers. By 18 months 30% had formed multiple attachments (siblings and grandparents). This questions validity because Bowlby states that in Monotropy stage you form one main attachment to the mother.
48
Weakness: Bowlby's monotropic theory
There is research evidence to contradict Bowlby's explanation. There is an alternative explanation by Kagan's temperament hypothesis he suggested that innated temperamental characteristics which made infants 'sociable' or 'anxious' had a serious impact on the quality of the mother - infant relationship and the attachment type. These experiences believed would influence the individual throughout their relationships. This questions the validity of Bowlby's explanation because it suggests that if a child doesn't experience the internal working model, they cannot form a 'blue-print'.
49
A01: Ainsworth's strange situation - Results INSECURE AVOIDANT
- Insecure avoidant (20-25%)
. When mother is present child explores the environment but returns often to caregiver
. When mother leaves low separation anxiety
. When stranger enters low stranger anxiety
. When mother returns child avoids contact on the reunion
49
A01: Ainsworth's strange situation - Results SECURE ATTACHMENT
- Secure (60-75%)
. when mother is present the child explores environment but little contact to caregiver.
. when mother leaves moderate separation anxiety
. when stranger enters moderate anxiety
. when mother returns easily calms at the reunion
50
A01: Ainsworth's strange situation - Procedure
- involves the child experiencing 8 'Episodes':
. Child + caregiver enter an unfamiliar room.
. The child is encouraged to explore the room.
. A stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child.
. Caregiver leaves the child and the stranger together
. The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves.
. The caregiver leaves child alone.
. The stranger returns.
. Caregiver returns and is reunited with the child.
51
A01: Ainsworth's strange situation - Results INSECURE RESISTANT
- Insecure resistant (5-8%)
. When mother is present child does little exploration
. When mother leaves high separation anxiety
. When stranger enters high stranger anxiety
. When mother returns child is resistant to embrace on the reunion
52
Strength: Ainsworth's strange situation
Strange situation procedure has been found to have high reliability. Researchers tested babies at 18 months and then retested them at 6 years of age. They found that 100% of the secure babies were still classified as secure and 75% of the avoidant babies were still under the same classification. This means the strange situation rates high on test - retest reliability which shows results are always consistent. However, insecure resistant children do change as they get older as they have had to go to nursery.
53
Strength: Ainsworth's strange situation
The strange situation procedure is strongly predictive of later development. Babies assessed as secure typically go on to have better outcomes in many areas, ranging from success at school to romantic relationships and friendships in adulthood. Insecure resistant attachment is associated with the worst outcomes including bullying in later childhood and adult mental problems. This means stranger situation has high predictive validity.
54
Weakness: Ainsworth's strange situation
The strange situation procedure is a culture bound test. The strange situation does not have the same meaning outside Western cultures and the USA cultural differences in childhood experiences are likely to mean that children respond differently to the strange situation. For example in collectivist cultures people have grown up around more people so feel more comfortable. Also caregivers from different cultures behave differently. Research has noted that the test does not really work in Japan. Japanese mothers rarely separate from their babies so show very high levels of separation anxiety. This means the strange situation has low population validity.
55
Weakness: Ainsworth's strange situation
The strange situation may be affected by confounding variables. Research has suggested that temperament the genetically influenced personality of the child is more of an influence on the child's behvaiour in the strange situation rather than attachment. For example, children with an avoidant attachment style they maybe be more introverted this questions the validity of the strange situation because it maybe innate.
56
Definition of Cultural Variation:
Looks at different patterns of attachment found in other cultures and possible explanations for these differences.
57
A01: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg research - PROCEDURE
Carried out meta-analysis of 32 studies in 8 different countries on the observation of 2000 children
58
Strength: Cultural variations in attachment
The use of meta-analysis is ethically sound. Because there was no new data collection involved in the study, no more children had to be put through the potentially traumatic 'strange situation' procedure. This means the explanation of cultural variations in attachment in not compromised by ethical issues.
Discussion: However, in the original studies the children would have suffered from psychological harm.
58
A01: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg research - RESULTS
- Secure attachment was the most common attachment style
- Germany had high rates of insecure avoidant - Individualistic culture
- Israel & Japan had high rates of insecure resistant - Collectivist culture
59
Strength: Cultural variations in attachment
Van Izendoorn and Krooenberg's meta-analysis is that a large sample was used. There was a total of 2000 babies and their primary attachment figures. This reduces the impact of anomalous results caused by bad methodology. This means the explanation of cultural variations in attachment is valid.
Discussion: However, we don't know if the original studies used standardised procedures and if everyone was treated the same.
60
Describe The Critical Period:
First 0-2 years is a critical period is the child is deprived + separated from mother believed psychological damage was inevitable
60
Weakness: Cultural variations in attachment
There are many differences in attachment not just across a number of cultures but within one culture. It is wrong to think of everyone in a culture having the same practices. Within a culture there are many sub-cultures, all with their own way rearing children. These may be ethnically or racially based but also may be class specific, e.g. in the UK the "middle class" have different child rearing techniques to the "working class". The upper class traditionally have left child rearing to nannies. This questions the validity of the explanation of cross-cultural variations in attachment because there may be variations within cultures not just across cultures.
Discussion: Due to globalisation it is more likely that cultures are individualistic
60
Weakness: Cultural variations in attachment
There is the issue of an imposed etic. This development of a test for one culture, then being used in unfamiliar cultures is imposed etic. The strange situation was designed by an Ainsworth (an American) based on a British theory (Bowlby's). For example you are applying a western standard of human behvaiour to every baby. This means that comparisons between countries may have little meaning and it is difficult to generalise the findings from Western research to other Non-Western cultures.
Discussion: can be socially sensitive because it implies that the mother failed.
61
definition of Maternal deprivation:
The emotional & intellectual consequences of separation between a child and one mother or mother substitute
62
The 44 Juvenile Thieves study - AIM
To investigate the long-term effects of maternal deprivation
62
Describe Intellectual development:
Deprived of maternal care for too long during the critical period would suffer from 'mental retardation'
63
Describe Emotional development:
During the critical period the child can become a 'affection less psychopath' this is the inability to experience guilt or strong emotions for others
64
The 44 Juvenile Thieves study - PROCEDURE
- Selected an opportunity sample (88 children)
. Group 1 - 44 teenagers in the 'theft group' referred to him for stealing
. Group 2 - 4 teenagers referred to him because of emotional problems
- 2 groups matched with age, IQ
Both children and parents were interviewed and tested by a psychiatrist
65
The 44 Juvenile Thieves study - FINDINGS
. Thief group - 14 children identified as affectionless psychopaths - 12 experienced prolonged separation in first 2 years of life (one 5 classified as afectionless psychopaths)
. Control group - out of the 44 only 2 experienced prolonged separation but none were afectionless psychopaths
66
The 44 Juvenile Thieves study - CONCLUSION
Early separation and deprivation can lead to negative later consequences. It can modify one's personality + intellect
67
Weakness: Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
Bowlby's study of 44 Juvenile Thieves may not be reliable. Lewis partially replicated the 44 Thieves study on a larger scale looking at 500 young people. In her sample a history of prolonged separation did not predict criminality or difficulty forming relationships. Because Bowlby was a psychiatrist who carried out all the interviews himself, he may have asked leading questions to help gather the evidence needed.
67
Strength: Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
There is evidence to support Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation. Goldfarb followed up 30 orphaned children to the age of 12. Of the original sample half had been fostered by 4 months whilst the other remained in an orphanage. At 12 there IQ was assessed using standard IQ test. The fostered group had an average of 96 whereas the group that remained in the orphanage had an average of 68. This adds validity to Bowlby's theory because it supports the idea of intellectual development as children are able to suffer from 'mental retardation' which is irreversible and long term
68
Weakness: Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
The critical period may actually be more of a sensitive period. Bowlby believed that if prolonged separation occurred during the critical period of 0-2 years it caused damage. The Koluchova twins lost their mother shortly after birth and were cared for by a social agency (care system) for a year then were fostered by a maternal aunt. Their father remarried and the wife was cruel to the twins banished them to the cellar + beating them. The twins were dwarfed in stature (due to lack of sunlight), lacking speech suffering from rickets and the doctors examined them and predicted permanent physical and mental handicap. This questions the validity of Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation because some severe deprivations had good outcomes provided the child and had some social interactions and good aftercare the consequences will be reversable through hard work.
69
Weakness: Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
Bowlby fails to distinguish between deprivation and privation. Rutter claimed Bowlby has actually muddled two different concepts Rutter makes a distinction between Deprivation - the loss of the primary attachment figure AFTER an attachment has made + Privation - the failure to form an attachment in the first place. The developmental damage suggested by Bowlby is more likely to be caused by privation. This questions the internal validity of Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation because to get the cause and effect he should have identified whether the children he studied were 'deprived' of emotional care in early childhood or whether they had not formed earlier attachments.
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A01: Romanian Orphans study - Effects of institutionalisation
(Rutter Et Al) AIM
- Followed a group of 165 Romanian children who were adopted in Britain to see if good care could compensate for poor early experiences in institutions
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A01: Romanian Orphans study - Effects of institutionalisation SAMPLE
1) Adopted before the age of 6 months
2) Adopted between 6 months and 2 years
3) Adopted after the age of 2
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A01: Romanian Orphans study - Effects of institutionalisation PROCEDURE
- The orphans where tested on physical, social and cognitive development a the ages of 4,6,11,15 and compared to British children and they were behind them in all 3 categories
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A01: Romanian Orphans study - Effects of institutionalisation RESULTS
- Romanian children after 6 months showed signs of an attachment style 'Disinhibited attachment' which is a pattern of attention-seeking clingy behaviors with a relative lack of selectivity in social relationships'
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Strength: Romanian orphan study - Effects of institutionalisation
Studying Romanian orphans as enhanced our understanding of the effects of institutionalisation and led to a real life application. Langton explains how research has led to improvements in the way children are cared for in institutions. Orphanages and care homes now avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child and instead ensure that perhaps only one or tow people play a central role for the child (key worker) having a key worker helps to avoid disinhibited attachment. This research has an impact on the economy
75
Weakness: Romanian orphan study - Effects of institutionalisation
Individual differences may have influenced the findings of this research. It is not true that all children who experience institutionalisation do not recover some children may be more strongly affected than others. Rutter suggested that some of the children could have received special attention in the institution this would mean that they ddi have some early attachment therefore the research into Romanian Orphans studies is unreliable.
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Weakness: Romanian orphan study - Effects of institutionalisation
Romanian Orphans were faced with much more than emotional deprivation. The physical conditions they stayed in were often appalling having a Huge impact on health. Also a lack of cognitive stimulation could have affected their development. for many poor care in infancy is followed by poor subsequent care like poverty. This questions the validity because the research deprives other factors that contribute towards development (physical side)
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Weakness: Romanian orphan study - Effects of institutionalisation
The long term effects of institutionalisation are not yet clear. It is too soon to say with certainty wether children suffered long or short term effects. It may be that children who spent longer in institutions could lag behind in intellectual development. Equally early adopted children who appear to have no issue may got onto experience emotional problems as adults. This questions the validity of the research because the research is new so we are unable to know what attachments would be like and how they would affect the future (permanence + longjeberty)
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The Influence of Early Attachment on Childhood and Adult Relationships: Hazan + Schaffer AIM
- They wanted to see if there was a correlation between the infant's attachment type and their future approach to romantic relationships
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What was Hazan + Schaffer's 'love quiz' 2 consisting components:
1) A measure of attachment types
2) A love experience questionnaire which assessed individual's beliefs about romantic love
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Hazan + Schaffer Love quizz: METHOD
- Hazen + Schaffer analyses the first 620 replies sent from the people aged from 18-82 they classified the responses according to secure attachment + insecure-avoidant attachment + insecure-resistant attachment
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Hazen + Schaffer Love quiz CONCLUSION
- That there was evidence to support the concept of the inner working model having a long-life effect. However, not everyone stayed true to their infant attachment style and some did change as they grew older
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Behaviour influenced by the internal working model: CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIPS
(They were trusting of the other kids making it easier to form friendships)
- individuals who were classed as securely attached were rated highest for: Social competence in later childhood + less isolation and popularity + empathy
83
Behaviour influenced by the internal working model: POOR PARENTING
(What normal relationships between mother and daughter look like)
- 50 women raised in an institution and 50 raised at home. The women from an institution were experiencing difficulties as parents (This could be because the internal working model forms a ‘blueprint’ of your first/past relationships then this is how you expect your relationships to be)
84
Behaviour influenced by the internal working model: MENTAL HEALTH
Children with attachment disorder have: No preferred attachment figure + An inability to interact with and relate to others that is evident before the age of 5 + They often experience serve neglect or frequent change of caregivers
- Correlation between insecure resistant attachment style and getting depression + post-natal depression
- Correlation between insecure avoidant is feeling and loneliness + social isolation
85
Weakness: Influence of early attachment on future
Research into the internal working model is deterministic as it states that an individual's behaviour is determined by factors out of their control E.g. an insecurely attached individual will have relationship difficulties later in life and this neglects the role of free will and choice that an individual has over their behaviour E.g. an insecurely attached individual may go on to have a secure romantic relationship in the future. Therefore, this questions the validity as it doesn't consider other factors
86
Weakness: Influence of early attachment on future
Research into the internal working model uses self report methods. Some ppts may suffer from social desirability and change their answers E.g. Hazen + Schaffer's love quiz ppl may have changed their answers in order to be viewed in a better light by the researchers. This then limits the validity as the answers may be inaccurate
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Weakness: Influence of early attachment on future
There is research to contradict the internal working model by Zimmerman assessed infant attachment type and adolescent attachment to parents there was little relationship between the quality of infant and adolescent attachment therefore suggests we don't need a blueprint for future relationships
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Weakness: Influence of early attachment on future
Research linking the internal working model with further relationships experiences is correlational although there may be an association found between 2 variables E.g. extroverted personality and secure attachment types, we cannot identify if the extroverted personality is a cause of the secure attachment type, or direct consequences of it therefore it is difficult to establish cause and effect
