Attachment Studies Flashcards
1
Q
Meltzoff and Moore
A
- Found that infants as young as 3 days old can imitate facial expressions
- Asked adult models to display 1 of 3 facial expressions to the baby in controlled conditions and videoed the baby’s face
- The baby’s expressions were then coded by an independent observer
2
Q
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
A
- Longitudinal study over the first 2 years of life of 60 babies from working class families in Glasgow
- Each child observed every 4 weeks until they were 1 and then again at 18 months
- Assessed whether the child was attached to an adult and how many
- Said to be attached when they protested when separated and showed stranger anxiety
3
Q
Schaffer and Emerson results
A
- 65% of children formed the first main attachment with their mother
- In 39% of children, the person who usually fed, bathed and changed the baby was not their primary attachment figure
4
Q
Schaffer and Emerson evaluation
A
- Implications for the learning theory
- Longitudinal- researchers tracked the changes in attachment in the same babies which gives the study greater internal validity
- Natural surroundings- more likely to get a valid picture
- Low temporal validity- women are more likely to be working and children often attend nursery from a young age
5
Q
Geiger (1996)
A
- Found that fathers tend to engage in more exciting, physical games with their children than mothers
- Also evidence that fathers are less able to detect low levels of infant distress compared to mothers
6
Q
Ainsworth and Bell (1970)
A
-100 middle class American infants and their mothers assessed using strange situation
66% secure
22% avoidant
12% resistant
7
Q
Ainsworth’s strange situation evaluation
A
- Provides figures which we can compare to the strange situation in other cultures
- Control of variables
- Ethical issues- infant put under stress and categorising children as secure/insecure
- Low ecological validity
8
Q
Vanljzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
A
- Meta analysis
- 32 different studies undertaken in 8 different countries, data from nearly 2000 children (assessed using the strange situation)
- Secure attachment was most common in a cultures (innate drive)
- Large variations within cultures
9
Q
Takahashi (1990)
A
-Assessed 60 middle class Japanese infants using strange situation
68% secure
0% avoidant
32% resistant
10
Q
Quinton (1984)
A
- Compared 50 women who had been raised in institutions and had poor attachments with a control group of 50 women raised at home
- The women who had been raised in institutions had significantly more parenting problems
- However, 31% did go on to be good parents
11
Q
Hazan and Shaver (1987)
A
- Conducted a love quiz
- Over 200 men and over 400 women
- People who were securely attached as children were more likely to show a secure pattern as adults and had longer lasting relationships
12
Q
Lorenz (1935)
A
- Took a clutch of gosling eggs laid at the same time and randomly split them in half
- Half hatched with mother, half with Lorenz , then put all together
- The goslings would follow him if he was the first thing they saw moving
- Imprinting seemed to occur between 4 and 25 hours after hatching
- Supports te theory that attachment formation may have a biological tendency to imprint as it occurs so early it appears to be biologically programmed
13
Q
Harlow and Zimmerman (1959)
A
- 16 newborn monkeys were separated from their mother at birther and reared in isolation
- Some grew up in a cage with a wire ‘mother’ that had a bottle and other with a wire ‘mother’ covered in soft towelling
- The monkeys spent significantly longer clinging to the soft mother than the food mother
- Against learning theory
14
Q
Harlow (1965)
A
- Investigated the effects of raising newborn monkeys in isolation from other monkeys for 3,6,12 or 24 months
- Found that these monkeys were disturbed adults
15
Q
Harlow evaluation
A
- Can’t generalise
- The fake mothers had different faces. The soft mother also had a more monkey like face so it could be that the infant monkey preferred this monkey because it was less scary
16
Q
Evidence for ICCM
A
- Innate tendency- Meltzoff and Moore
- Continuity- Hazan and Shaver
17
Q
Bowbly’s 44 thieves
A
- 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing
- Thieves interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy characterised by a lack of guilt for their actions and lack of empathy for their victims
- 14 of the 44 thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths
- Of these 14, 12 had experiences prolongued separation from their mother in the first 2 years of life
18
Q
Robertson and Robertson (1971)
A
- Undertook filming of 5 children who needed residential care.
- Roberton’s looked after 4 of the children in their home (familiar, allowed to be visited by dad)
- These children showed some signs of distress by generally functioned well
- 5th child was pit into a residential nursery (unfamiliar)
- Cried a lot, refused food, detachment
- Suggests that the negative effects of short term separation from mother can be minimised by providing good quality emotional care
19
Q
Robertson and Robertson evaluation
A
- Rich qualitative data
- Good ecological validity
- Ethical issues- filming
- Small sample
- Biased
20
Q
Hetherington et al
A
- Children were assessed immediately after the divorce, 2 years and 3 years after (children living with mother)
- Immediatley after divorce, children showed negative consequence compared to controls
- 2 and 4 years after- girls showed no difference. Boys were still showing more negative effects tan controls. Eg less socially skilled
- Challenges maternal deprivation as it suggest that disruption of attachment to the father may also have negative effects
21
Q
Rutter (2007)
A
- 165 Romanian orphans received poor physical and emotional care
- Compared to control group of 52 UK children who were all adopted before 6 months of age
- Romanians showed stunted growth, poor cognitive functioning
- By 4 years, the Romanians who were adopted before the age of 6 months appeared to catch up well
- Those adopted after 6 months showed poorer emotional development. At 6 years old, 26% were classed as showing disinhibited attachment
