Influence of early attachment on childhood relationships

Question 1

influence of early attachment on childhood relationships

Answer 1

• Minnesota Parent-Child Project
• began in 1975 + mother-child pairs continue to be studied today

Question 2

procedure - Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 2

• since 1975, mothers’ + childrens’ behaviour has been assessed using questionnaires + observations
• e.g. pairs were videotaped (intra-observer reliability) while playing for a period of 10-15 mins
• two observers analysed the recordings (inter-observer reliability)

Question 3

findings - Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 3

children who were classed as securely attached as infants were:
- rated as the highest for social competence
- were less socially isolated
- were more popular with their peers
- were more empathetic
= securely attached children will have a positive internal working model for relationships

Question 4

long-term effects - Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 4

• if infants don’t have an early attachment during the critical period
  = result in a lack of an internal working model
  = could lead to attachment disorder

Question 5

ad of Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 5

• study is reliable
• psych found similar results
• assessed infant attachment styles at one year of age
• several studies found that children who were securely attached as infants were rated as having higher social competence as children + closer to their friends aged 16

Question 6

disads of Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 6

• deterministic
• adopted children

Question 7

deterministic - disads of Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 7

• study claims that early experiences have a fixed effect on later childhood relationships
• therefore children who are insecurely-attached as infants are doomed to experience emotionally unsatisfactory relationships as children
  = deterministic + doesn’t take into account people’s free will to make conscious decisions

Question 8

adopted children - disads of Minnesota Parent-Child Project

Answer 8

• study by Tizard + Hodges contradicts the claim that early attachments affect slater childhood relationships
• found that children raised in care who had never formed any attachments by the age of 4, could still form attachments to their new adopted parents