L11 - The Influence of Early Attachment on Childhood Relationships

Question 1

What was the study called, who ran it, and when was it done?

Answer 1

• It was ran by Sroufe et al. (2005)
• Minnesota Parent-Child Project
• It began 1975 and the mother-child pairs continue to be studied today

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

• The mothers and childrens’ behaviour has been assessed using questionnaires and observations.
• For example, the mothers and children were videotaped (intra-observer reliability) whilst playing for a period of 10-15 mins.
• However, the mothers were aware that they were being videotaped, this may cause social desirability bias.

Question 3

How many observers present?

Answer 3

Two observers analysed the recordings. This is called inter-observer reliability.

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

As children, those who were classed as securely attached as infants were;

• rated the highest for social competence
• were less socially isolated
• were more popular with their peers
• were more empathetic

Question 5

What type of model will children who are securely attached have?

Answer 5

A positive internal working model, which helps them form and maintain better relationships with others

Question 6

Long Term Effects

Answer 6

• If infants do not have an early attachment during their critical period this would result in a lack of an internal working model for attachment.
• This could lead to attachment disorder, where children have no preferred attachment figure, and an inability to interact and relate with others.
• This becomes clear from the age of 5.

Question 7

+ Why is this study reliable (Simpson et al.)

Answer 7

• Simpson et al. found similar results; they assessed infant attachment styles at one year of age.
• Several studies have found that children who were securely attached as infants were rated as having a higher social competence as children and were closer to their friends at age 16.

Question 8

– Why is this study considered deterministic? (does not take account of peoples free will to make decisions about their behaviour)

Answer 8

• As it claims that early experiences have a fixed effect on later childhood relationships and therefore children who are insecurely attached as infants are bound to experience emotionally bad relationships as children.

Question 9

– What’s a study that contradicts the claims that early attachment affects later childhood relationships?

Answer 9

• Tizard and Hodges found that children raised in care who had never formed any attachments by the age of 4, and then were adopted, could still from attachments to their new adopted parents.