Attachment Flashcards
What is one strength of caregiver-infant interactions?
Filmed observations- analysed later, can establish inter-rater reliability and babies not aware of being observed, increases validity
What are two limitations of caregiver-infant interactions?
- Difficulty observing babies- hard to know what their expressions/gestures mean, eg. don’t know if hand twitch actually means something
- Developmental importance- the behaviours can be reliably observed but this doesn’t reveal their importance
What is the counterpoint to developmental importance for caregiver-infant interactions?
Evidence (eg. Isabella et al) does support the importance of early interaction in attachment
What is one strength of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?
Good external validity- mothers did the observing so babies not stressed by the presence of a researcher
What is a counterpoint to good external validity for Schaffer’s stages of attachment?
Risk of inaccurate observation, mothers might have missed behaviours or misreported them
What are two limitations of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?
- Poor evidence for asocial stage- babies have poor coordination, so may just seem asocial
- Real-world application- day care ok in asocial and indiscriminate stages (babies comforted by any adult), starting at specific attachment stage is undesirable
What are two limitations of the role of the role of the father?
- Research confusion- researchers address different issues on fathers’ role
- Conflicting evidence for distinct role- children without fathers do not grow up different
What is the counterpoint of conflicting evidence for distinct role for the role of the father?
No conflict, as single mothers and lesbian parents simply adapt to not having a father
What is one strength of the role of the father?
Real-world application- advising parents about flexibility in the role of the father
What is one strength of Lorenz’s research?
Research support- Regolin and Vallortigara observed chicks imprint on shapes
What is one limitation of Lorenz’s research?
Generalisability to humans- attachment systems in birds are less complex and not two-way
What is one strength of Harlow’s research?
Real-world value- helps professionals (eg. social workers) to promote bonding (Howe), also applied to zoos and breeding programmes
What is one limitation of Harlow’s research?
Generalising to humans- monkeys better than birds but human mind and behaviour are still more complex
What are two limitations of learning theory?
- Animal studies- attachment does not depend on feeding (Lorenz/Harlow)
- Human studies- primary attachment figure not always person who does feeding (Schaffer and Emerson), quality of attachment related to interactional synchrony not feeding (Isabella et al)
What is one strength of learning theory?
Some conditioning (association with comfort) could still be involved in selecting the primary attachment figure
What is the counterpoint of some conditioning being involved for learning theory?
Babies are more active in attachment than learning theories suggest (eg. Feldman and Eidelman)
What is one limitation of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
Validity of monotropy challenged- primary attachment may not have unique qualities
What are two strengths of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
- Support for social releasers- babies distressed when ‘cute’ signals ignored (Brazelton et al)
- Support for IWM- poor attachment passed on in families (Bailey et al)
What is the counterpoint of support for IWM for Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
Genetic differences in personality also influence social behaviour/parenting (Kornienko)
What are two strengths of types of attachment?
- Good predictive validity- attachment type linked to eg. school success and good mental health in adulthood (McCormick et al, Ward et al)
- Good inter-rater reliability- 94% observers agree on attachment type (Bick et al)
What is the counterpoint to good predictive validity for types of attachment?
Strange Situation may measure genetic anxiety (Kagan), not attachment
What is one limitation of types of attachment?
Culture-bound test- Strange Situation behaviours have different meanings outside US/Europe (eg. in Japan, Takahashi)
What is one strength of cultural variations in attachment?
Indigenous researchers- eg. Grossmann et al (German) reduced probability of miscommunication
What is the counterpoint to indigenous researchers for cultural variations in attachment?
Not true of all cross-cultural studies (eg. Americans Morelli and Tronick)
What are two limitations of cultural variations in attachment?
- Confounding variables- studies in different countries not matched for sample or method
- Imposed etic- ‘attachment behaviours’ may have different cultures eg. lack of affection on reunion represents independence in Germany
What are three limitations of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?
- Flawed evidence- eg. Bowlby conducted interviews himself (bias)
- Privation not deprivation (Rutter)- some of the 44 thieves may have been ‘prived’, deprivation may be less damaging
- Sensitive not critical period- Czech twins recovered from severe deprivation (Koluchova)
What is the counterpoint to flawed evidence for Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?
Research with rats shows short separations can harm social development (Levy et al)
What are two strengths of institutionalisation?
- Real-world application- improved care in institutions (eg. key workers for each child)
- Confounding variables- fewer in these studies because no early trauma (as in WW2 studies)
What is the counterpoint to confounding variables for institutionalisation?
Poor conditions in Romanian orphanages could be a confounding variable
What is one limitation of institutionalisation?
Lack of adult data- eg. late adopted children may ‘catch up’
What is one strength of influence of early attachment on later relationships?
Strong research support linking attachment to later development (review by Fearon and Roisman)
What is the counterpoint to research support for influence of early attachment on later relationships?
No continuity in attachment type from 1 to 16 years (Regensburg longitudinal study)
What are two limitations of influence of early attachment on later relationships?
- Validity issues with retrospective studies- self report answers not always honest and assumes that attachment type has remained the same into adulthood
- Confounding variables may influence attachment quality and later development (eg. parenting style or genes)
