Disruption Of Attachment

Question 0

Outline the case study of John

Answer 0

A 17 month old boy placed in residential nursery while his mother was in hospital. Over the course of 9 days he went from a happy, well- adjusted child to one who became increasingly withdrawn - he rejected his mother on reunion.

Question 1

Outline the work of Robertson and Robertson (1967 - 1973).

Answer 1

Made a landmark series of films of young children in situations where they were separated from their primary caregiver.

Question 2

What are he real life implication of the Robertsons’ research?

Answer 2

Hospitals changed their practice concerning visiting rights: up until this time it was felt that visits from parents would unsettle children.

Question 3

Outline Bifulco’s (1992) study.

Answer 3

Bifulco studied 249 women who had lost their mothers through separation or death before they were 17 years old.
More than twice as likely to suffer depression as adults. Stressful events in adulthood could act as a ‘trigger’ for anxiety or depression.

Question 4

Why is Bifulco’s study important?

Answer 4

It suggests lasting damage from early disruption of attachment.

Question 5

Outline Skeels and Dye’s (1949) study.

Answer 5

They compared the development of two groups of orphans: one group were raised in an institution which was very busy so little attention was available and the other group were raised in a home for the mentally retarded in which mentally retarded women gave the orphans attention. After 18 months the average IQ of those in institution fell from an average of 87 to 61 while those raised in the home for mentally retarded rose from an average of 64 to 92

Question 6

What is the importance of the Skeels and Dye (1939) study?

Answer 6

It suggests that emotional deprivation impacts intellectual development.

Question 7

Outline Quinton et al (1984)

Answer 7

100 women studied : 50 raised in an institution and 50 in their family home. Those women raised in an institution were found to experience more problems with parenting; their children were more likely to be taken into care.

Question 8

Why is the Quinton et al (1984) study important?

Answer 8

It suggests that the experience of early deprivation can adversely affect future generations

Question 9

Outline Gardner’s (1972) study.

Answer 9

Case study: a girl born with a malformation which meant she had to be fed with a tube - was never held or cuddled. At 8 months she was severely withdrawn and physically stunted.

Question 10

Why is Gardner’s study important?

Answer 10

It suggests that emotional disturbance may affect the production of hormones such as growth hormones.

Question 11

Outline Curtis’s (1977) case study on Genie

Answer 11

Genie was locked in a room until she was thirteen and a half. When ‘found ‘ she could not stand erect and could not speak. She never recovered socially.

Question 12

Why is the Genie study compromised?

Answer 12

It was impossible to assess whether she was retarded at birth or as a consequence of her treatment.

Question 13

List the problems with case studies.

Answer 13

1. It is not a scientific method as information is interpreted by those conducting research - therefore biased and subjective.
2. An in depth study of one group or individual cannot be made generally applicable .
3. Replication is impossible.
4. Variables cannot be controlled.
5. Qualitative data is difficult and time-consuming to analyse.

Question 14

What are the advantages of a case study?

Answer 14

Holistic picture emerges from an in depth study.
People considered in a natural setting - high ecological validity.
Rich source of data.

Question 15

What study demonstrates disinhibited attachment as a possible effect of privation?

Answer 15

Hodges and TIzard (1989)

Question 16

Outline Hodges and Tizard (1989)

Answer 16

65 children placed in institutional care where there was an explicit policy for no attachments to be formed.
By four, some were adopted and some were restored to their original families.
Those who were adopted formed good attachments to adoptive parents while ‘restored’ children experienced more problems.
BOTH groups experienced problems with peers and sought more attention from adults.

Question 17

Why is Hodges and TIzard’s (1989) study important?

Answer 17

It both supports and challenges Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis.
Supports: continuity hypothesis - poor internal working model affects subsequent relationships.
Challenges: critical period and idea of irreversible damage.

Question 18

Outline Rutter’s (2007) study into Romanian orphans.

Answer 18

Rutter studied a group of 100 Romanaian orphans and assessed them at 4,6 and 11. Those adopted before six months have shown ‘normal emotional development’. Those adopted after six months have experienced more problems.

Question 19

Why is Rutter’s (2007) study important?

Answer 19

It challenges Bowlby’s claim that the effects of early privation are irreversible.

Question 20

Outline a case study, other than Genie, which is valuable for attachment theory.

Answer 20

Koluchova(1976) Czech twins.
Identical twin boys
Mother died at their birth - institutional care - then cared for by an aunt - returned to home with an exceptionally cruel stepmother.
When discovered they could not talk. Then cared for by two loving sisters and by 14 had near normal intellectual and social functioning. By 20 - above average intelligences - married.
Valuable as suggests recovery possible

Question 21

Outline 4 problems withHodges and TIzard’s (1989) study.

Answer 21

1. Were the children who were adopted temperamentally more stable?
2. They used interviews to assess attachment - responses cannot be necessarily assumed to be accurate … Social desirability
3. Six of the original families dropped out … It could be that those more likely to do this are those experiencing problems.
4. What about poor diet? Lack of stimulation? Can we separate effects of privation from physical care?