Attachment: Studies

Lorenz

A large clutch of goose eggs, incubated half by a mother goose and half artificially. The geese then imprinted onto the researcher, with the researcher theorising this being irreversible. (Imprinting Theory)

Guiton

Chicks being fed with rubber gloves and then imprinting onto them and attempting to mate with them, thought this was reversed.

Harlow

A study on 8 monkeys with 4 conditions differing conditions of a wire mother and a towelling mother. This concluded that comfort is more important than food.

Schaffer and Emerson

A study in Glasgow of 60 participants exploring infant attachment stages.

Meltzoff and Moore

A study into interactions symphony in infants. Independent observers were used to describe the actions.

Ainsworth

A study into the sensitivity of a parent or caregiver relation to the type of attachment formed by a child.

106 middle class infants aged 12-18 moths were observed.

Mother and child enter the playroom, the child is encouraged to explore, stranger enters and attempts to interact, mother leaves while stranger is present, mother enters and the stranger leaves, mother leaves, mother returns and interacts with the child.

66% of children had a secure attachment

22% had an insecure-avoidant attachment

12% had an insecure-resistant attachment

Kagan

This study proposed the idea that a child’s temperament (personality) is also important as this influences how responsive the parent will be. Some children naturally have easy-going temperaments and develop regular patterns, whereas some children are the opposite causing difficulties with the ability for caregivers to connect.