Key Notes P2, Cross Cultural Variations Onwards

Question 1

Meta analysis of cross cultural variation

Answer 1

Van ijzendoorm and Krooneburg of 32 strange situation studies
Found intra cultural differences were 1.5x greater than inter cultural
Secure most common followed by insecure avoidant (except Israel and Japan)
Support view there is a bio basis
High levels of insecure avoidant in Germany- value I dependence

Question 2

Explanations for variation within cultures

Answer 2

Effects of mass media- spread ideas about parenting

Socio economic status

Question 3

Issues of meta analysis

Answer 3

Drew conclusions about cultural differences, compared countries not cultures, subcultures
Study of urban Tokyo rather than rural

Question 4

Difficulty in applying principles to collectivist cultures

Answer 4

Continuity hypothesis- doesn’t have the same meaning: Bowlby+ Ainsworth define secure attachment as independence- Japan competence= emotional exploration and dependence
‘Imposed etic’ researches use techniques that are only relevant to one culture

Question 5

Cross cultural variation in att

Answer 5

Difference in children rearing practices

Individualist versus collectivist

Question 6

Takahashi

Answer 6

Whether strange situation is a valid procedure when assessing att types of children from other cultures.
60 middle class Japanese infants aged 1 year and mothers
68% sec att, 32% insecure res and 0% avoidant
90% infants removed as response too extreme
Sample could be criticised, poss psych harm as study wasn’t stopped only observation

Question 7

Critical period of Bowlby

Answer 7

Extent effected by age of 2 and a half, whether substitute att figure is provided
Now suggested more a sensitive period of up to 5yrs
LT consequences of emotional maladjustment and even mental health issues ie depression, impact intellectual development

Question 8

Short term separation PDD model

Answer 8

Protest- immediate reaction, crying/ screaming etc, outward expression of emotion
Despair- more apathetic, anger felt more inwardly eg sucking thumb
Detachment- responds warily to people, signs of anger and rejection of caregiver

Robertson and Robertson ‘John’ spent 9 days in residential nursery, progressively more withdrawn and clung to teddy, tried to get away from mother on her arrival, showed LT neg effects

Question 9

Evaluation of the effects of short term separation

Answer 9

• Robertson and Robertson- prevent psycho harm by bringing children into own home
• correlational research not causal
• individual differences
  + real world applications

Question 10

Bowlbys 44 juvenile thieves

Answer 10

Interviewed 88 children, ages 5-16, 44 were thieves and others non delinquent children, all emotionally maladjusted in some way
16 of 44 thieves were Identified as affection less psychopaths
86% of those identified had experiences early and prolonged separations from mothers
4% of non thieves had experienced separations

Question 11

Criticisms of the effects of LT separations

Answer 11

Data collection retrospective and reliant on memory
Some only experiences separation at short periods
Results are correlational, Rutter found delinquency most common when boys had experienced family discord

Question 12

Evaluation of studies into privation

Answer 12

Inconsistency in findings eg Czech twins recover but not Genie however, were found at an earlier age and may have formed att to one another in absence of caregiver
Ethical- otherwise be unethical/ impractical to use other research methods
Issues with case studies as relying on retrospective memories that may be selective or incorrect, can’t know what happened before discovery, lack generalisability

Question 13

Institutionalisation

Answer 13

Mix of privation and deprivation, distinct patterns of behaviour
Att of care provided by orphanages and residential children’s homes
Conducted in Romanian orphanages often

Question 14

Rutter et al (1998) procedure

Answer 14

Whether loving and nurturing care could overturn effects of privation that children had suffered in Romanian orphanages
On going longitudinal study, orphans as ppts and 3 conditions:
1) adopted before 6months
2) 6months- 2years
3) adopted after 2years
DV- cognitive functioning, assessed height, head circumference and cognitive functioning on arrival to Britain at 4yrs
Used control group of 52 adopted British children in order to ascertain whether negative effects were due to separation from careers or institutional conditions in Romanian orphanages

Question 15

Findings and conclusions of Rutter et als study

Answer 15

50% of Romanian orphans were retarded in cog functioning at initial assessment, underweight- control didn’t have these
At four years, Romanian orphans showed great improvement, those adopted before 6months doing as well as British
Negative effects of institutionalisation overcome by sensitive nurturing care, Sep from caters will not alone cause neg effects

Question 16

Evaluation of Rutter’s research

Answer 16

+ research is ongoing and should be able to provide better understanding as ppts grow up

• only some received detailed clinical investigations, can’t generalise
• lack of control- extraneous variables eg ‘good’ temperament
• not studied whilst in orphanages- can’t establish effects of certain aspects

Question 17

Follow up research of Rutter

Answer 17

1) Found hyperactivity, att problems and cognitive impairment associated to institutionalisation
Emotional and behaviour problems and poor peer relations were unrelated
Suggests neg effects are related to LT institutionalisation and only certain types of children
2) followed up same children at 11, many showed normal levels of functioning, about 50% of those showing dis inhibited att @ age 6 were still doing so, supports bowlbys MDH

Question 18

Evaluation of research into institutionalisation

Answer 18

+ ethical- uses naturally occurring IV

- lack of control

Question 19

Minnesota longitudinal study

Answer 19

Securely att infants grew up to be more socially well adjusted with their peers
Explained by internal working model, sec att infants have higher expectations that others are friendly and trusting- enables easier relationships

Question 20

Continuity in adult att types and children

Answer 20

Intergenerational continuity between adults att types and their children, inc children adopting the parental style they received

Question 21

Hazan and Shaver love quiz findings and conclusions

Answer 21

Similar att style prevalence as found in infancy
Most secure, then avoidant and then resistant
Securely attached: better opinions of love. 10yrs on average relationship compared to 5/6 years
Conclusions: adults internal working model differ according to att type, securely att more positive and optimistic, insecure adults more vulnerable to loneliness, infant att type effects perception of self, relationships and expectations

Question 22

Evaluation of research into the influence of early att on later relationships

Answer 22

• retrospective accounts that may be inaccurate
• lack of cause and effect eg temperament hypothesis
• wood et al: combination of two peoples att type
• Zimmerman et al: att style at 12-18 months didn’t impact later relationships
• deterministic
  + however research such as Minnesota longitudinal study does provide evidence