AQA A Level Psychology: Animal Studies and Theories of Attachment

Comprehensive flashcards covering animal studies (Lorenz and Harlow), explanations of attachment (Learning Theory and Bowlby), Ainsworth's Strange Situation, cultural variations, maternal deprivation, and the influence of attachment on later life.

What was the critical period for imprinting identified by Lorenz in his greylag goose study?

Imprinting only occurred within a critical period of $4\text{--}25$ hours after hatching.

According to Guiton et al. (1966), what happened to chickens who imprinted on yellow washing-up gloves?

They would try to mate with the gloves in adulthood, though the study suggested imprinting is not as permanent as Lorenz claimed.

What were the two surrogate mothers used in Harlow’s research with rhesus monkeys?

A harsh 'wire mother' who provided food and a second soft 'cloth mother' who provided no food.

What did Harlow conclude regarding the primary drive for attachment in rhesus monkeys?

Infants have an innate drive to seek contact comfort rather than food.

How does Operant Conditioning explain the reinforcement of attachment when an infant is hungry?

Feeding reduces the unpleasant feeling of hunger (drive reduction), which acts as negative reinforcement for the attachment.

In the Learning Theory of attachment via Classical Conditioning, what is the 'caregiver' categorized as before conditioning?

A neutral stimulus.

According to Bowlby, what is the purpose of 'social releasers'?

They are innate traits used by infants to attract caregivers.

What is Bowlby's 'internal working model'?

A relationship template shaped by early attachment that serves as a model for all future relationships.

What is the age range and observation duration for infants in Ainsworth’s Strange Situation?

Infants aged between $9\text{--}18$ months are observed for $21$ minutes.

What are the characteristics and percentage of 'secure attachment' in the Strange Situation results?

$66\%$ of infants; they show moderate stranger anxiety, moderate separation anxiety, and joy on reunion.

Which attachment type, identified by Main and Solomon (1986), suggests Ainsworth’s original classifications were incomplete?

Type D: insecure–disorganised.

What were the primary results of van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg’s (1988) meta-analysis regarding secure attachment?

Secure attachment was the most common in all cultures, being highest in Great Britain and lowest in China.

Which countries showed higher levels of insecure–resistant attachment in cross-cultural research?

Japan and Israel.

What are the potential consequences of Maternal Deprivation according to Bowlby?

Developmental dwarfism, affectionless psychopathy (lack of remorse/shame), and difficulties in language, intelligence, and social development.

What did Bowlby’s '44 thieves' study reveal about the link between antisocial behavior and deprivation?

Of the $44$ thieves, $14$ were affectionless psychopaths, and $86\%$ of those psychopaths had experienced early maternal deprivation.

In the English and Romanian Adoptees Project, what was the developmental outcome for orphans adopted before six months?

Almost all orphans adopted before the age of six months caught up on their development compared to the British control group.

What condition was frequently seen in Romanian children adopted after the age of six months?

Disinhibited attachment disorder.

What did Hazen and Shaver (1987) find in their 'Love Quiz' research?

A positive correlation between early attachment type and adult experiences in love, supporting the internal working model.

What did Bailey et al. (2007) discover about the intergenerational nature of attachment?

A vast proportion of the $100$ mothers studied had the same attachment type to their infant as they had with their own mother.

What ranges of correlation coefficients did Fraley et al. (2002) find when studying the influence of early attachment?

Correlation coefficients ranged from $+0.10$ to $+0.50$, suggesting the path between childhood and adulthood is not always strongly linked.