Attachment-Psychology

What is the definition of attachment?

A close two way emotional bond between two individuals in which each sees the other as essential for their own emotional security.

What behaviours are associated with attachment?

What is reciprocity?

Infant and mother respond to each other's verbal signals / facial expressions; each elicits a response from the other.

What is interactional synchrony?

Infant and mother reflect both the actions and emotions of the other and do this in a co

Explain the role of the father as an attachment figure

Outline Schaffer's four stages of attachment

NB Following differs slightly from Flanagan

1. Asocial: similar behaviour towards people and objects but some preference for people, e.g. smile at faces
2. Indiscriminate (2

Describe Lorenz's research

Describe Harlow's research

Explain attachment through classical conditioning.

Food is an unconditioned stimulus and pleasure is an unconditioned response. The feeder becomes associated with pleasure and becomes a conditioned stimulus, so pleasure becomes a conditioned response in the presence of the feeder.

How is crying negatively reinforced?

How is feeding negatively reinforced?

Feeding takes away the displeasure of hearing the baby cry.

The learning theory suggests that attachment is formed due to...

Feeding...
Baby's crying and caregiver's feeding are both negatively reinforced so readily occur.
Baby associates caregiver with pleasure from feeding through classical conditioning.
In this way caregiver becomes a secondary reinforcer (food is the primary reinforcer) so that just being near the caregiver all the time becomes pleasurable.
Seeking proximity to caregiver (\= aspect of attachment behaviour) is therefore positively reinforced and occurs more often.

What did Schaffer and Emerson find that contradicts learning theory?

When observing babies in their own homes, they found that almost 40% of babies formed their first attachment to someone other than the person who fed them. Also, that babies can form multiple attachments (e.g. to people who hadn't fed them).

Describe the method and findings of Harlow's study into learning theory.

Harlow placed young monkeys with one wire mother with a feeding bottle, and one cloth mother. He found that the monkeys spent most of their time on the cloth mother (seeking proximity) and went to it when it was frightened. This shows that they didn't attach to the feeding mother, contradicting learning theory.

Does Bowlby explain attachment as being due to nature or nurture?

Nature

Does the learning theory explain attachment as being due to nature or nurture?

Nurture

Describe the "Critical Period"

This is the time in which Bowlby suggests an infant must form its first attachment

Why must an attachment be made in the critical period?

If no attachment is formed then they will have no internal working model for future relationships and will not form future attachments.

Explain the "Internal Working Model"

A template for future relationships which allows a person to build a model of themselves as being loveable and other people as trustworthy

What is "Monotropy"?

When babies form a primary attachment to one caregiver. This relationship is thought to be qualitatively different from relationships to anyone else.

Whose theory is monotropy?

Bowlby's

Bowlby's theory suggests that attachment is formed due to...

Evolution through natural selection

What are social releasers and what is their benefit?

Crying and smiling, they encourage the caregiver to look after them (behaviour to encourage protection)

What is the critical period?

The first 2 1/2 years of a baby's life, the period where attachment has to occur

What is monotropy?

Forming an attachment to a primary caregiver (a special person, often mother) and it is qualitatively different to relationships with anyone else

What is the Internal Working Model?

The template for future relationships based on the first attachment made

What is the Continuity Hypothesis?

The hypothesis that the model affects relationships throughout life e.g secure infant attachment results in trusting adulthood relations

Research to support Bowlby

Hazan and Shaver: IWM

Research that contradicts Bowlby

Zimmerman et al: IWM

What does Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure involve?

Controlled observation in lab playroom
3 minutes episode: mother briefly leaves baby

What was measured in Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure?

Separation anxiety
Exploration
Stranger anxiety
Reunion behaviour

What is the name for a type A attached child?

Insecure avoidant

How does a type A attached child respond to separation?

Is not distressed when mother leaves

How does a type A attached child respond to reunion?

Avoids interaction with mother on return

What is the name for a type B attached child?

Secure

How does a type B attached child respond to separation?

Is distressed when mother leaves

How does a type B attached child respond to reunion?

Is easily comforted when reunited with mother

What is the name for a type C attached child?

Insecure resistant

How does a type C attached child respond to separation?

Is extremely distressed when mother leaves

How does a type C attached child respond to reunion?

Seeks to be with mother when she returns, but is not easily soothed

Define the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis

The attachment type is the result of the mother's behavior towards the child

Identify one ethical weakness with the Strange Situation

Failure to protect from psychological harm: departure of mother in an unfamiliar environment was stressful

Identify one methodological weakness with the Strange Situation

A child who has been left in daycare is used to being left with strangers so may be classed wrongly as being insecure avoidant

Identify one strength with the Strange Situation

Studies show that most children assessed before 18 months are classified as the same attachment type when they were reassessed at age 6

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (method)

Meta

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (findings)

Type B most common in all cultures
Type C more common in collectivistic
Type A 35% in West Germany (highest)

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (conclusions)

Attachment is to some extent innate (Type B most common everywhere)
Differences in attachment related to child rearing approach e.g. West Germany

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (evaluation)

Strength of V I & K is that it used Strange Situtaion: a controlled observational method

Weakness of V I & K is that individualistic cultures more heavily represented than collectivistic (27 I, 5 C)

Evaluation of research into cultural variations in attachment

SS has ethical problems: unfamiliar environment, stressful for infant. These problems are more severe in certain cultures e.g. Japan

Definition of disrupted attachment

A child is forming or has formed an attachment bond with caregiver. However, this is disrupted by separation of the child from the caregiver.

PDD model

short term effect of disruption (PROTEST)

PDD model

short term effect of disruption (DESPAIR)

PDD model

short term effect of disruption (DETACHMENT)

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis key points

long term effect of disruption

44 thieves

Bowlby

44 thieves

Bowlby

44 thieves

Bowlby

What is privation?

A lack of emotional care, especially during the first few years of life, such that no attachment to a caregiver is formed.

What were the names of the people in the case studies into privation?

Genie and Czech twins.

Summarize Genie's life, including early life and her development problem.

She was isolated so didn't form any attachment. She went through serve neglect and was physical restraint.
She was described as socialized, primitive and hardly human. Made no sounds and was not able to walk.

How many children were in the beginning of Tizard and Hodges study?

65 children

How many children were adopted, returned to biologically parent and remained in the institution in Tizard and Hodges study?

25 of children returned to their biological parents.
33 were adopted
7 remained in the institution

What 4 methods were used to collect data on the children in Tizard and Hodges study?

An interview with the children
An interview with their mother
A questionnaire (self

Briefly outline the findings of Tizard and Hodges study

Age 2 children showed 'disinhibited attachment'
At age 16 17/21 adoptive mothers felt their children were attached to them and only 4/9 natural mothers thought this.
At age 16 ex institutionalised children had poorer peer and sibling relationships than comparison group of non

Briefly explain one weakness of Tizard and Hodges

Either: as it was a longitudinal study, children dropped out so the sample remaining might be biased.
Or: as it was a natural experiment there are doubts over causality.

Explain why we cannot be certain from Tizard and Hodges that adoption causes better parental attachment in ex institutionalised children.

It was a natural experiment in which the IV (adopted or restored) was not manipulated by the researchers.
Children with better social skills may be more likely to be adopted than those with poorer social skills.
Better social skills (rather than adoption itself) might explain the better parental attachment at age 16 in the adopted than the restored group.

In Rutter et al's study, name the three methods used to measure the child's development

Medical examination and measurements, test which predict later IQ, semi

What were the 3 naturally occurring IVs in rutters study?

UK children adopted before 6 months, Romanian children adopted before 6 months, Romanian children adopted between 6months and 2years.

What percentage of children showed marked disinhibited attachment in Rutter's study?

4% UK children adopted before 6 months; 9% Romanian children adopted before 6 months; 26% Romanian children adopted between 6 months and 2 years.

What did Rutter conclude in the study?

He concluded that adoption can help to reverse the effects on disinhibited attachment of poor institutional care/privation, however disinhibited attachment is more likely to persist in children who have experienced more time in institutional care.

Outline Dontas et al's procedure.

Dontas observed 16 babies (5 to 12 months) playing with similar age familiar and unfamiliar peers in the orphanage; and observed 15 other babies two weeks after placement in adoptive homes.

Outline Dontas et al's results.

The babies in the orphanage showed no sign of indiscriminate attachment.
The babies placed for adoption had adjusted well and had already started forming attachments to their adoptive parents.
This is because children in this Dontas visited 15 other babies two weeks after placement in adoptive homes.

Explain one practical implication of research into institutional care.

Institutions should assign a member of staff to care specifically for each child.
This happened in the orphanage studied by Dontas but not in the one studied by Tizard and Hodges.
The infants in T&H showed indiscriminate attachment but those in Dontas did not.

Define day care

When a pre

Outline how Schindler et al. investigated the effect of day care on peer relations

They observed 57 children attending daycare in the US over a 2 week period and measured the amount of time spent playing alone, alongside or co

Outline what Schindler et al. shows about the effect of day care on peer relations.

They found a positive correlation between the amount of time spent in day care and the amount of time spent playing cooperatively with other children.
Concluded that daycare improves peer relations because it provides opportunities to develop social skills.

What is a disadvantage of the type of study Schindler et al carried out?

It is not certain that time in day care causes better peer relations as the findings are correlational: parents who have children who play co

Outline how Campbell et al investigated the effect of day care on peer relations

Compared 48 Swedish children who attended different DC settings (from 1½ to 3½ yrs.) with control group whose parents had not managed to secure a DC place. Followed them up into adolescence.
Peer relations assessed by observations of play early on, reports from teachers at school, and in adolescence by a self report questionnaire about social abilities.

Outline what Campbell et al found about the effect of day care on peer relations

Children who spent long days in DC (e.g. from 8 am to 6 pm) under age 3½ had worse peer relations.
Those who spent more but shorter days had better peer relations
High quality care was linked to better peer relations.
Social skills did not change much between 3½ years and adolescence.

Evaluate Campbell et al. in terms of strengths

It is likely that the differences in peer relations found were due to being in day care rather than to the children's innate social skills (e.g. parents might only decide to put their child into day care if they think the child is sociable). This is because the control group was well selected

Describe how Belsky investigated the effect of day care on aggression.

Longitudinal study of 1300 children which followed them from the ages of 1 to 11.
Children cared for e.g. by relatives, childminders and nursery care.
Assessments of behaviour made by those caring for them (e.g. parents, carers and teachers).
Data recorded on aggression towards other children (e.g. getting into fights) and challenging behaviour such as talking back to adults and demanding attention.

Describe what Belsky found about the effect of day care on aggression.

Group care in nurseries had more adverse effects than one to one care by childminders.
The more time children spent in group care, the more aggressive and disobedient they were between 2 and 6 years old.

Evaluate Belsky in terms of strengths

Extensive study with large sample (therefore good population validity) done longitudinally (therefore showing the long term effects of day care).
Isolated effect of time spent in day care by controlling for other factors

Outline how Campbell et al investigated the effect of day care on aggression

Compared 48 Swedish children who attended different DC settings (from 1½ to 3½ yrs.) with control group whose parents had not managed to secure a DC place.
Assessed children's aggression levels by observing them playing with other children.

Outline what Campbell et al. found about the effect of day care on aggression.

Children under 3½ who spend long days in nursery had more negative interactions (squabbles) with other children.

What are the two aspects to how research has influenced childcare?

1. How research into ATTACHMENT has influenced child care.
2. How research into DAY CARE has influenced child care.
(Research \= Theories or Studies)
(Child Care \= How children are looked after in various settings)

Outline Robertson's research on hospital practices.

Robertson filmed children (e.g. Laura) who spent 8 days in hospital, separated from parents.
Robertson observed stress in children.
He used this to formulate model for children's short term reaction to separation.
1. Protest, 2. Despair, 3. Detachment.

What did Bowlby propose about separations such as those studied by Robertson?

That such separations during critical period could disrupt formation of attachment. According to his maternal deprivation hypothesis, this would make later relationships difficult and increase behavioural problems.

How did research by Robertson and Bowlby result in changes in attitude and hospital policies?

1940's parents rarely allowed to visit children in hospitals (e.g. the West London Hospital), or not at all.
Nowadays, hospitals have much more extensive visiting hours on child's wards.
Recognition of importance of sustained parental contact has also lead to charities, e.g. CLIC Sargent, being set up.

Why is it important for children to have a special person to care for them in orphanages?

They will not have any other attachments, leading to privation.
Rutter et al/ Tizard and Hodges have shown this could cause disinhibited attachments and difficulties forming bonds later.

What were Schindler's finding about children in day care?

There was a positive correlation between time spent in day care and time spent playing cooperatively with others. Therefore day care improves peer relations.

What did Schindler's findings lead to?

The development of Sure Start Centres (government funded day care) where more time spent playing with others leads to development of more friendships.

How has research into day care led to improvements in day care itself?

Howes: staff given sensitivity training were found to be more sensitive to children's needs than those not given the training. Day care centres therefore know the importance of
staff training.\#