Attachment Key Studies Flashcards
Study that supports the formation of attachments?
Schaffer and Emerson- 60 babies from Glasgow at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of life using a longitudinal method.
Children were all studied in their own homes and visited monthly for approximately one year. Interactions with their carers were analysed to establish if and when infants started to display separation anxiety.
RESULTS- attachments were most likely to form with carers who were sensitive to the baby’s signals, rather than the person they spent the most time with.
Study that supports animal studies of attachment?
Lorenz and Harlow give findings.
Contradictory research for learning theory of attachment?
Schaffer and Emerson / Harlow.
Study that supports bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?
Brazelton- trends in mother-baby interactional synchrony. Videotapes of 12 mother-baby pairs’ play behaviour was examined up to 5 months of age, which revealed three phases of play:
Attention and build-up
Recovery
Turning away
These three phases were repeated at regular intervals over the 7 minute footage. It was concluded that the three phases of play demonstrate the early signs of organised behaviour.
Contradictory research for Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?
Schaffer and Emerson-
RESULTS- attachments were most likely to form with carers who were sensitive to the baby’s signals, rather than the person they spent the most time with.
Study for types of attachment?
Ainsworth- procedure?
8 pre-determined stages, including the mother leaving the child, for a short while, to play with available toys in the presence of a stranger & alone and the mother returning to the child.
Stage 1 – Mother and child enter the playroom
Stage 2 – The child is encouraged to explore
Stage 3 – Stranger enters and attempts to interact
Stage 4 – Mothers leaves while the stranger is present
Stage 5 – Mother enters and the stranger leaves
Stage 6 – Mothers leaves
Stage 7 – Stranger returns
Stage 8 – Mother returns and interacts with child
Study for cultural variations of types of attachment?
Van Ijzendoorn
What is Bowby’s Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis?
a “warm, intimate & continuous relationship with a mother (figure)” is necessary for healthy psychological/ emotional development. “Mother-love in infancy/ childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins & proteins for physical health.”
What are the consequences of maternal deprivation?
An inability to form attachments in the future (see the Internal Working Model) Affectionless psychopathy (inability to feel remorse) Delinquency (behavioural problems in adolescence) Problems with Cognitive Development
Research for Institutionalism?
Rutter- privation/deprivation. 111 Romanian orphans adopted before 2 years and found that the sooner the children were adopted, the faster their developmental progress. Institutionally deprived adoptees were compared at 11 years with children who had not experienced institutional deprivation and who had been adopted within the UK before the age of 6 months. ASSESSED Parental reports, a modified Strange Situation and investigator ratings of the children’s behaviour.
Results revealed that disinhibited attachment was strongly associated with institutional rearing but there was not a significant increase in relation to duration of institutional deprivation beyond the age of 6 months.
mild disinhibited attachment was more frequent in non-institutionalised adopted children.
Study that supports the influence of early attachment on adult relationships?
Hazan and Shaver- ‘love quiz’
collect information of participant’s early attachment types and their attitudes towards loving relationships. Of the volunteer sample, they found that those who were securely attached as infants tended to have long lasting relationships, on the other hand, insecurely attached people found adult relationships more difficult, tended to divorce, and believed love was rare. This supports the idea that childhood experiences have significant impacts on people’s attitude towards later relationships.
