Attachment

Question 1

What is one strength of caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 1

Filmed observations- analysed later, can establish inter-rater reliability and babies not aware of being observed, increases validity

Question 2

What are two limitations of caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

What is the counterpoint to developmental importance for caregiver-infant interactions?

Answer 3

Evidence (eg. Isabella et al) does support the importance of early interaction in attachment

Question 4

What is one strength of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

Answer 4

Good external validity- mothers did the observing so babies not stressed by the presence of a researcher

Question 5

What is a counterpoint to good external validity for Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

Answer 5

Risk of inaccurate observation, mothers might have missed behaviours or misreported them

Question 6

What are two limitations of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

What are two limitations of the role of the role of the father?

Answer 7

• Research confusion- researchers address different issues on fathers’ role
• Conflicting evidence for distinct role- children without fathers do not grow up different

Question 8

What is the counterpoint of conflicting evidence for distinct role for the role of the father?

Answer 8

No conflict, as single mothers and lesbian parents simply adapt to not having a father

Question 9

What is one strength of the role of the father?

Answer 9

Real-world application- advising parents about flexibility in the role of the father

Question 10

What is one strength of Lorenz’s research?

Answer 10

Research support- Regolin and Vallortigara observed chicks imprint on shapes

Question 11

What is one limitation of Lorenz’s research?

Answer 11

Generalisability to humans- attachment systems in birds are less complex and not two-way

Question 12

What is one strength of Harlow’s research?

Answer 12

Real-world value- helps professionals (eg. social workers) to promote bonding (Howe), also applied to zoos and breeding programmes

Question 13

What is one limitation of Harlow’s research?

Answer 13

Generalising to humans- monkeys better than birds but human mind and behaviour are still more complex

Question 14

What are two limitations of learning theory?

Answer 14

• 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)

Question 15

What is one strength of learning theory?

Answer 15

Some conditioning (association with comfort) could still be involved in selecting the primary attachment figure

Question 16

What is the counterpoint of some conditioning being involved for learning theory?

Answer 16

Babies are more active in attachment than learning theories suggest (eg. Feldman and Eidelman)

Question 17

What is one limitation of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 17

Validity of monotropy challenged- primary attachment may not have unique qualities

Question 18

What are two strengths of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 18

• 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)

Question 19

What is the counterpoint of support for IWM for Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 19

Genetic differences in personality also influence social behaviour/parenting (Kornienko)

Question 20

What are two strengths of types of attachment?

Answer 20

• 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)

Question 21

What is the counterpoint to good predictive validity for types of attachment?

Answer 21

Strange Situation may measure genetic anxiety (Kagan), not attachment

Question 22

What is one limitation of types of attachment?

Answer 22

Culture-bound test- Strange Situation behaviours have different meanings outside US/Europe (eg. in Japan, Takahashi)

Question 23

What is one strength of cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 23

Indigenous researchers- eg. Grossmann et al (German) reduced probability of miscommunication

Question 24

What is the counterpoint to indigenous researchers for cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 24

Not true of all cross-cultural studies (eg. Americans Morelli and Tronick)

Question 25

What are two limitations of cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

What are three limitations of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?

Answer 26

• 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)

Question 27

What is the counterpoint to flawed evidence for Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?

Answer 27

Research with rats shows short separations can harm social development (Levy et al)

Question 28

What are two strengths of institutionalisation?

Answer 28

• 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)

Question 29

What is the counterpoint to confounding variables for institutionalisation?

Answer 29

Poor conditions in Romanian orphanages could be a confounding variable

Question 30

What is one limitation of institutionalisation?

Answer 30

Lack of adult data- eg. late adopted children may ‘catch up’

Question 31

What is one strength of influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 31

Strong research support linking attachment to later development (review by Fearon and Roisman)

Question 32

What is the counterpoint to research support for influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 32

No continuity in attachment type from 1 to 16 years (Regensburg longitudinal study)

Question 33

What are two limitations of influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 33

• 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)