OCR Psychology - Attachment

How is attachment formed through classical conditioning?

Babies associate their mothers with food and this forms a bond

How is attachment formed through operant conditioning?

Babies are positively reinforced through food so the bond is formed through reinforcement

What is Bowlby’s theory of monotropy in attachment?

A child has a tendency to form one special bond with a primary caregiver

What is Bowlby’s theory of evolution in attachment?

Babies use their caregivers as a safe base to explore + that attachment is innate

What is the critical period?

First 6 months of a baby’s life where it is integral for them to form a bond with the primary caregiver

What did Lorenz find out about attachment?

Geese imprint quickly on the closest moving object (supports critical period for attachment) + attachment aids survival as it speeds up in stressful times

What is Bowlby’s internal working model?

Babies develop mental representations of themselves + caregivers, this helps them predict how people will behave towards them in the future

What would a child with a secure attachment believe based on their internal working model?

That they are deserving of love

What is deprivation?

When a bond was formed then broken through separation

What is Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation hypothesis?

A child requires the continuous presence of their primary caregiver until the end of the critical period (30 months), if this is missed no attachment will form

What is a consequence of not developing an attachment according to Bowlby?

Affectionless psychopathy + very low intelligence

What was the sample in Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study?

44 teenagers (mostly male)

What is a conclusion from Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study?

Children who experience separation in the first 2 years are likely to develop affectionless psychopathy (14 / 44 had it)

What lowers the validity of Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study?

Parents were interviewed + recalled events from the past (lowers accuracy)

What ethical issues were raised in Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study?

Lack of confidentiality as the participants names + details about them were in the report

What is privation?

When a child does not form a bond with their primary caregiver

What are some details from the case study on Genie?

Severely neglected (over 12 years), strapped to a child’s toilet + did not develop language / social skills

What ethical issues were raised in the case study on Genie?

She was subjected to too much testing, she might not have been protected from harm, but her identity was concealed to an extent

What are effects of privation?

Poor social skills, delayed language + attention-seeking behaviour

What is an effect of deprivation?

Deprivation dwarfism, they are physically small due to stress

What was the aim of Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

To see whether babies use their mothers as a secure base for exploratory behaviour

What research did Ainsworth and Bell use?

Controlled observation

What sample was used in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

56 white middle class babies, aged just under 1

What sampling method was used in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

Self-selected sampling

What was the strange situation?

8 episodes where the mothers left 2x and strangers intervened + the babies’ reactions were observed

How many observers were used in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

2

How did they record findings in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

Recorded every 15 secs into tape recorder, transcribed this + coded

What was behavioural categories were used in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

5 + these were assessed on a 7 point rating scale

What are some examples from the 7 point rating scale used in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

Proximity and contact seeking / proximity and interaction avoiding

What are some results from Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

52 / 56 babies cried when they were left alone + the babies showed less proximity seeking with the stranger

What is a conclusion of Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

Absence of the mother reduces exploration of an unfamiliar situation

How were the findings from Ainsworth and Bell’s study ethnocentric?

The strange situation was based on western cultures + applied to others as if it was the norm, suggested Japanese children have more insecure attachments

What ethical issues were raised in Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

Babies may not have been protected from harm, however they most like,y experienced separation like this everyday + the observation was stopped if the babies became too distressed

What is an application of Ainsworth and Bell’s study?

It has changed attitudes towards parenting, parents are more responsive to build a secure attachment

How can an attachment friendly environment be built based on staff?

The ratio for staff to children aged 0 - 2 years is 1:3 + aged 2 - 3 it’s 1:4, 50% need a level 2 qualification in childcare + staff retention should be high

How can an attachment friendly environment be built based on key workers?

They can settle the children (5 / 6) into the environment, track their progress, provide tailored care + speak with parents so they are responsive caregivers who can substitute for the primary one

How can the experience of hospitalisation be improved?

Parents can stay on hospital ward in places built by charities (avoid deprivation) + flexible visiting hours