L11 - influence of early attachment on childhood relationships

Question 1

who studied the influence of early attachment on childhood relationships

Answer 1

sroufe et al
minnesota parent-child project

Question 2

what is the procedure of the minnesota parent-child project

Answer 2

• mothers and childrens behaviour assessed udsing questionnaires and observations
• videotaped while playing for a period of 10-15 minutes at home (intra-observer reliability)
• mother aware they were being videotaped
• two observers analysed recordings (inter-observer reliability)

Question 3

what were the findings of the minnesota parent-child project

Answer 3

• those who were securely attached were rated highest for social competence, less socially isolated, more popular, more empathetic
• had a positive internal working model for relationships so better at forming and maintaining relationships with others

Question 4

what are the long term effects of not having an early attachment during the critical period

Answer 4

• lack of internal working model
• attachment disorder - no preferred attachment, cannot interact and relate to others
• evident from age 5
• caused by severe neglect or frequency change of caregivers

Question 5

strength of sroufe et al

Answer 5

reliable: simpson et al found similar results (assessed infant attachment styles at one year of age), other studies found that those securely attached had higher social competence and were closer to friends at age 16

Question 6

2 weaknesses of sroufe et al

Answer 6

• deterministic: claims that early experiences have a fixed effect on later childhood relationships, children insecurely attached are doomed to experience emotionally unsatisfactory relationships, does not take account of peoples free will to make conscious decisions about their behaviour
• tizard and hodges: found that children raised in care who had never formed attachments by age 4 could still form attachments to their new adopted parents