Attachment: Studies Flashcards
What was the aim of meltzof and moore’s study?
To show wether infants as young as 3 days old could imitate facial expressions.
What was the methodology of meltzof and moore’s study?
They asked adult models to display one of three facial expressions to the baby, in controlled conditions and videoed the baby’s face.
When was Isabella’s study?
1989
How many mothers and children did Isabella observe?
30
What did Isabelle measure?
The amount of interactional synchrony
What were the results from Isabella’s study?
The securely attached baby’s had more interactional synchrony showing a stronger bond
What type of study was Isabella’s?
Longitudinal study following children up over several years.
When was Murray and trevarthen’s study?
1985
How old were the babies that Murray and trevarthen investigated?
2 months old
What was Murray and trevarthen’s method?
Step one: the baby interacted with their mother via a video screen. The mother responded to the baby normally, and the researchers observed.
Step two: a video of the mother was played so that she did not respond in synchrony.
What did Murray and trevarthen find?
Babies showed signs of distress when the mother did not respond in synchrony.
This supports the idea that baby’s are actively trying to communicate.
It also shows that bad response from parents can cause problems in the baby’s emotional development.
When and where was Schaffer and emerson’s study?
1964, Glasgow
What type of study was Schaffer and Emerson?
Longitudinal study over the first two years of a baby’s life.
Each child was observed every 4 weeks until they were 1 year old, and then again at 18 months old
How many babies did Schaffer and emerson study?
60: 31 male, 29 female Mainly working class families in Glasgow
What did Schaffer and emerson study?
Wether the child was attached to an adult and how many adults the child appeared to be attached to.
How were the children in Schaffer and emerson’s study observed
In their natural surroundings, from direct observations and by records kept by the mother.
When was meltzof and moore’s study?
1977,1983
From Schaffer and emerson’s study, what percentage:
- Of children formed the first main attachment with their mother
- The person who usually fed, bathed and Changed the baby was to the primary carer
- 65%
2. 39%
Why does Schaffer and emerson’s study challenge the stages of attachment?
Research suggests that even newborn babies prefer a face like stimuli rather than a non - face like stimuli, which challenged the pre-attachment phase as young babies do not treat humans and objects in a similar way
Why does Schaffer and emerson’s study challenge the learning theory?
Because the study provided evidence that 39% of children were not attached to the person who regularly fed them.
Give a positive of Schaffer and emerson’s study
It was a longitudinal study, therefore the researches could track changes in attachment in the same Babies, giving the study a better internal validity.
The study observed babies in their natural surroundings rather than in an lab, which meant that it is more valid.
Give a negative of Schaffer and emerson’s study.
The study was conducted over 40 years ago and the structure of families have changed a lot since then. Women are more likely to be working. Therefore study has limited TEMPORAL VALIDITY. doesn’t generalise to now.
What does Schaffer and emerson’s study’s how about the role of fathers?
75% of babies showed attachment to their father by 18 months old
When was Geiger’s study?
1996
What did Geiger find?
Fathers tend to engage in more exciting, Physical games with their children than mothers.
Fathers are less able to detect low levels of infant distress compared to mothers.
When was field study?
1978
What was the method of field study?
Filmed 4 month old baby’s interacting with their mothers and fathers.
What did field find?
If the father was the main carer, they spent more time smiling, imitating and holding he baby than if they were the secondary carer.
What type of study is vanizjendoorn and kroonenberg?
Meta analysis
What was the aim of vanijzendoorn and kroonenberg’ study?
To compare data on attachment in children from a range of different countries
What was the method of vanijzendoorn and kroonenberg’ study?
Gathering data from 32 STUDIES in 8 COUNTRIES, such as USA, Germany, and China.
Data from nearly 2,000 children
All children assessed by strange situation
Analysed all data together - meta analysis
What were the results off vanijzendoorn and kroonenberg’ study?
Secure attachment was the most common form of attachment in all cultures. (57% UK) and (50% China)
In Japan, only 5% were insecure avoidant, whereas in Germany 35%
A lot of variation - many differences which in cultures and between
Give a strength of vanijzendoorn and kroonenberg’ study?
The sample size is very large, increases validity of the conclusions, reduced anomalies
Give a weakness of vanijzendoorn and kroonenberg’ study?
Some countries only had a small number of studies included p. Only one study from China with just 25 children - might have been something unusual about that sample
What was the aim of takahashi’s study in Japan?
To look at cultural difference in attachment using the strange situation so that comparisons could be made between attachment patterns of Japanese and U.S Children’s
What was the method of takahashi’s study in Japan?
Assessing 60 middle class Japanese infants using the strange situation. All children were 1 year old and raised at home
What were the findings and conclusions of takahashi’s study in Japan?
Japanese infants often became so upset that the procedure was stopped in 90% of classes
Avoidant attachment is rarely seen in Japan, may be because it is considered very rude and impolite to ignore an adult in Japan
What is a strength of takahashi’s study in Japan?
It replicated ainsworths study, this means that comparisons can be made easily
Give a negative of takahashi’s study in Japan?
Ainsworth’s study was done 20 years before takahashi, low temporal validity
It only assessed middle class children - can’t be certain it generalises to all Japanese children
Which study supports the influence of early attachments on parenting?
Quinton
What was quinton’s method
Compared 50 women who had been raised in institutions and had poor attachments with s control group of 50 women raised at home.
What were the findings of quinton’s study?
The women raised in institutions has significantly more problems with parenting. 40% became poor parents compared to 11% of control group
What was the aim of hazan and shaver’s study?
To test if there was a relationships between childhood attachment and adult relationships
What was the method of hazan and shaver’s study?
They conducted a love quiz study by asking people to respond to an article in a newspaper about their relationships
What was the sample of hazan and shaver’s study?
200 men and 400 women
What were the findings of hazan and shaver’s study?
There was a positive correlation between attachment type in childhood and adult relationships. People who were securely attached as children were more likely to show a secure patten as adults and had longer lasting relationships
What was the aim of Lorenz’s study?
Wether imprinting creates an innate bond with the mother in the first few hours of life
What was the method of Lorenz’s study?
A clutch of gosling eggs, randomly split into half. One half was hatched with the mother, and the other half was hatched in an incubator when the first things the goslings saw was lorenz
What were the findings of Lorenz’s study?
The goslings that saw Lorenz first would follow him.
Evidence that the imprinting effected late sexual behaviour as the goslings attempted to mate with Lorenz
What was the conclusion of Lorenz’ study?
It supports the theory that attachment formation may have a biological basis as the tended to imprint occurs so early that it appears to be programmed.
What was the aim of harlow’s study?
To investigate wether a baby monkey is more likely to become attached to a “fake mother” that gives food, compared to one at is so gym but which does not provide food
What was the method of Harlow’s Study?
16 newborn monkeys, separated from the mother at birth and reared in isolation
With a wire mother that gave food, and soft mother that didn’t give food
Results of Harlow’s study
Monkeys spent significantly longer clubbing to the soft mother than the food mother
If the monkey was scared it ran to the soft mother
If the monkey was scared and it didn’t have the soft mother, it would cower in the cage
Conclusions of Harlow’s study?
Attachment formation is not just the result of a learned association with food, comfort is also very important
What did Harlow find from his second monkey experiment?
These monkeys were very disturbed as adults, they hugged themselves, rocked repetitively and harmed themselves. They were highly fearful of other monkeys and were aggressive.
If they did become parents, they we’re abusive to their infants.
Negative of Harlow’s study
The characteristics of the fake monkey’s were different and it may be that the infant preferred the soft monkey because it had a more realistic face.
Strength of Harlow’s study
Other variables which affect development were controlled.
