Attachment Flashcards
Caregiver-infant interactions-
One strength?
FILMED OBSERVATIONS (LAB). Other things that may distract a baby can be controlled. The observations can be recorded and analysed. So unlikely that researchers will miss nay details, a high inter-rather reliability can be established. No demand characteristics as there infants do not know they are being observed.
Caregiver-infant interactions-
Two limitations?
DIFFICULTY OBSERVING INFANTS. Young babies lack co-ordination. The behaviours that are being observed are ones like simple hand movements, and subtle changes in expression. (Can’t tell if an infant is just smiling or passing wind.) so we find it difficult to know what is occurring form a babies perspective.
DEVELOPMENTAL IMPORTANCE. Feldman (2012), states things like synchrony, also reciprocity, are just names given to observable behaviour. So cannot be useful in understanding child development, as it does not tell us the purposes of these behaviours.
Schaffers stages of attachment-
Two strengths?
GOOD EXTERNAL VALIDITY. Most of the observations were made by the parents within the study, they did not observe stranger anxiety. This means the babies wouldn’t have been distracted by the presence of a researcher.
REAL WORLD APPLICATION. In the asocial stage and the indiscriminate stage daycare is likely to be straightforward, the s=research shows that starting daycare during th specific attachment stage could be problematic.
Schaffers stages of attachment-
One limitation?
POOR EVIDENCE FOR HTE ASOCIAL STAGE. Young babies have poor co-ordination, and are family immobile. Babies may find it hard to display things such as anxiety, so we may not notice it.
The role of the father-
One strength?
REAL WORLD APPLICATION. Parents sometimes agonise over who should take on the primary caregiver role. Mothers ,say feel pressured to do so, fathers ,at feel pressured to work. The research can be used to offer advice to future parents.
The role of the father-
Two limitation?
CONFUSION OVER RESEARCH QUESTION. ‘What is ht role of the father?’ Is a much more complicated question than we think. Some wan to research as secondary attachment figures, but some were concerned as primary attachment figures. Research shows fathers can take on a maternal role, and some research shows fathers as behaving differently.
CONFLICTING EVIDENCE. Grossman et al, suggested that fathers as secondary attachment figures have an important and different role in their child development (play and stimulation). However, if fathers have a distinctly and important role we would expect that children with a single mother and lesbian parent families would turn out in some way different from those in two parent, heterosexual-sexual households. McCallum and Golombok (2004), showed these children do not develop differently.
Animal studies of attachment- L-
One strength?
RESEARCH SUPPORT. Regolin and Vallortigara (1995), supports Lorenz idea of imprinting. Chicks were shown simple snake combinations, when they are moved in front of them, they followed the original most closely.
Animal studies of attachment- L-
One limitation?
LACK OF GENERALISABILITY TO HUMANS. The mammal attachment system is quite different and more complex than birds. In mammas, attachment is a two way process, so it is not just the young who becomes attached.
Animal studies of attachment- H-
One strength?
REAL WORLD VALUE. Helped social workers, and psychologists understand that a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in child development, allowing them to intervene to prevent poor outcomes
Animal studies of attachment- H-
One limitation?
LACK OF GENERALISABILITY TO HUMANS. Monkeys are much more similar to humans than Lorenz birds, and all mammals have some kind of attachment behaviours. However, the human brain and human behaviours are still more complex.
EoA- learning theory-
One strength?
SOME CONDITIONING MAY BE INVOLVED. Unlikely that food plays a central role in attachment, but conditioning may still play a role. For example, a baby may associate the feeling of being warm and comfortable with an individual, and this may influence the infants choice of of their primary attachment figure.
EoA- learning theory-
Two limitations?
COUNTER EVIDENCE FROM ANIMAL STUDIES. Lorenz geese, imprinted on the first thing that hey saw after they were born, regardless of whether they were associated with food. If we consider Harlows research with monkeys, they displayed an attachment towards the mother who was soft, not the one who fed the,.
COUNTER EVIDENCE FTOM HUMAN STUDIES. Schaffer and Emerson (1964), infants tended to form their main attachment to their mother, regardless of who feeds them. Isabella (1989), found high levels if interactional synchrony predicted the quality of attachment.
Types of attachment-
Two strengths?
GOOD PREDICTIVE VALIDITY. Secure attachments have the best outcomes than others. This includes better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying (McCormick (2016)). Secure babies tend to have better mental health in adult hood (Ward (2006)). Insecure resistant gas the worst outcome.
GOOD RELIABILITY. Bick (2012), tested the inter-rather reliability. They found agreement on attachment type in 94% of cases. Because of controlled conditions, and because proximity seeking and stronger anxiety, involves big movements, which are easy to observe.
Types of attachment-
One limitation?
THE TEST MAY BE CULTURE BOUND. This was developed in Britain and the US. The strange situation may only be valid in certain cultures. The Japanese study by Takahashi (1986), displayed high levels of separation anxiety and so a disproportionate amount are classed as insecure-resistant.
Cultural variations in attachment-
One strength?
INDIGENOUS RESEARCHERS. (IR= same culture as the researchers) Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg, included research form german and Japanese researchers (Grossman (1981), and Takahashi (1986)). Many of the potential problems within cross cultural research, are not concerns. No misunderstandings or language barriers.
