Studies Flashcards
What did Isabella do?
Observed 30 mothers and children and measured their interactional synchrony to determine their attachment. (1/3 of each attachment)
What did Schaffer and Emerson (1964, Glasgow) do?
-They observed 60 babies for the first two years of their life.
-observed every 4 weeks until 1 year old.
-assessed whether the child was attached to an adult, and how many they were attached to.
Findings:
-39% of babies were not attached to the person who fed and changed them (challenges learning theory)
- babies developed attachment and stranger anxiety as they got older, correlation between the two
What did Gieger (1996) do?
- Looked at the role of fathers, and saw that fathers engage in more exciting physical games with their children than mothers
- also that they are less able to detect low levels of stress (possibly due to biological reasons) than mothers.
- may also be due to the fact that fathers tend to spend less time with their children
What did Ainsworth and Bell (1970) do?
Looked at 100 middle-class American infants (12-18 months old) and assessed their attachment based on the strange situation. Procedure: -carer is alone with the child. The carer sits and the child is free to explore the toys and the room (look to see what child does) -carer leaves the room (how does the baby respond) - then a stranger enters (is stranger anxiety shown?) - when carer returns (how does child respond, are they easily comforted?) Secure- 66% Avoidant- 12% Resistant- 22%
What did Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) do?
Carried out a meta analysis, comparing the data on attachment in children from 32 different countries.
Strange situation was used on all 2000 children.
E.g. Germany, China, USA etc.
Lowest % of secure in china
Highest in UK
avoidant common in west Germany but not in Japan.
What did takahashi (1990) do?
They used the same methodology as Ainsworth and bell (the strange situation) but in Japan in order to compare the cultural differences.
Secure- 68%
Avoidant- 0%
Resistant- 32%
What did Hazan and Shaver (1987) do?
A questionnaire asking about their childhood attachments and their current relationships. 200 men 400 women participants. Saw a strong correlation between the two = supports continuity hypothesis.
What did Lorenz (1935) do?
Half the goslings were hatched with mother, half with Lorenz.
Goslings imprinted on the first thing they saw (mother and Lorenz)
Critical period 4-25 hours after hatching.
Affects later sexual relations.
IV- first thing they saw
DV- the attachment shown
What did Harlow and Zimmerman (1959) do?
Theories of attachment
- Monkeys have two fake mothers (one that feeds one that is soft and comforting)
- Monkeys will not learn to be attached to something that feeds them (fails learning theory)
- when scared the monkey runs to the soft mother for comfort showing that that is also very important for attachment formation
What did Robertson and Robertson (1971) do?
Disruption of attachment.
Case study- John.
Several weeks without mother while in hospital, And were in residential care.
Found that the separation will not leed to significant problems if cared for well during separation.
What did Heatherington (1979, 1982) do?
Consequences of divorce on young children. Children were living with mother. They were assessed immediately after divorce and for 4 years after. Girls- no different to control group. Boys- negative effects, more aggressive and less socially skilled.
What did Rutter (2007) do?
Effects of institutionalisation and privation.
165 children Romanian orphanage study.
Negative effects on psychical development, stunted growth, head circumferences.
Those adopted before 6 months recovered well physically and psychologically.
26% of those after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment.
Tizard and hodges (1984)?
Effects of institutionalisation.
65 children. Raised in children’s home from 4 months old up to the age of 4. Longitudinal. Lots of staff so no specific attachment available. If adopted to loving homes 81% showed secure attachment to adoptive parents at 16 years.
What did Meltzoff and Moore study?
Interactional synchrony.
-adult models displayed one of three facial expressions to the baby (e.g. Tongue out).
-the baby’s expression was then coded by an observer who didn’t see the models face.
Saw that children as young as 3 days old can imitate facial expressions. May strengthen attachment.
Harlow (1965)
Raised monkeys in total isolation for as long as 24 months
-they became very disturbed as adults
-very fearful and aggressive towards other monkeys
-they became abusive towards children if they had any.
Suggests that early attachments are very important for normal social interaction as adults.
