Failed attachment Flashcards
Disruption of attachment
Deprivation
Who conducted the observational study into the effects of physical separation? What did they do? What did they find?
The Robertsons
Observed children separated from their primary attachment figure whilst parents were in hospital
The study demonstrated a clear difference between physical and emotional attachment disruption
Support for The Robertsons re. low IQ
Skeels and Dye - children with low IQ transferred to a home for mentally retarded adults, their IQ increased because adults provided children with emotional support
Contradicting study for The Robertsons
Bowlby - 60 children in long stay at hospital with TB, despite 63% being maladjusted none were different in terms of intellectual development
Name the 3 cases of The Robertsons and their results
Laura - visited occasionally by parents, wants to go but tries to cope with disappointment
Jane, Lucy, Thomas and Kate - all under 3 in foster care for 3 weeks whilst mothers hospitalised, Robertsons sustained high level of substitute emotional care and fathers visited regularly, children adjusted well with some signs of distress and positive reunion behaviour
John - Nursery for 9 days whilst mother hospitalised, father visited regularly, began to behave normally but could not compete for attention and gradually breaks down from lack of emotional support and comfort, negative long term effects
No attachment formed with anyone
Privation
Czech twins - the situation
Spent their first 7 years locked up together, couldn’t talk when discovered. Then cared for by sisters and by 14 had mostly recovered. By 20 they were above average intelligence and had good relationships.
Genie - the situation
Locked away in her room until she was 13 because her father thought she was retarded. When discovered could not speak or stand/walk properly. Never fully (socially) recovered, shows disinterest in others.
Czech Twins - evaluation
Strengths - Ecologically valid, investigates situations unethical to intentionally set up/research, proves recovery possibility
Weakness - isn’t truthfully testing the sensitive period or privation because during that time they (could have) formed attachments with each other
Genie - evaluation
Strengths - Ecologically valid, investigates privation and Bowlby’s theory of the sensitive period which would normally be unethical to test
Weaknesses - Might have really been mentally disadvantaged from birth (lacks reliability), ethical issues because no consent for post-discovery research and no confidentiality/privacy, lack of validity in tests since repeated but not varied (which is testing memory not skills)
Situations where children spend part of their childhood in a hospital, orphanage or residential children’s home
Institutional care
Longitudinal natural experiment into the effects of institutional care
Hodges and Tizard - 65 children placed in institution when less than four months old until adolescence, not formed attachments. As a result of early emotional privation 70% were described as unable to care deeply about anyone. All who left for adoption or their original families (which was most) were regularly assessed and had problems with peers, more likely to be bullies
Which of Bowlby’s ideas does the Hodges and Tizard study specifically support?
The sensitive period - failure to form attachment in that critical period of development has negative effects on emotional development
Hodges and Tizard evaluation
Strength - good range of research methods used including interviews and questionnaires
Limitation - Since children dropped out of the study in each stage, with the number dropping from 65 to 51, those who continued may not be representative.
Ethical issues include the sensitivity surrounding family relationships and the researchers needed to make sure that no pressure was put on the children to continue
Another example of a study into effects of institutional care and privation?
Rutter et al
Studied about 100 Romanian orphans and assessed them at 4, 6 and 11. Adopted before 6 months = normal emotional development. Adopted after 6 months = disorganised attachment and peer problems. Opportunities to form attachment mean the effects of privation are not as bad as originally though. Without that opportunity consequences are severe.
