**L11 - The Influence of Early Attachment on Childhood Relationships

Question 1

what did SROUFE ET AL do?

Answer 1

SROUFE ET AL conducted a study called the MINNESOTA PARENT-CHILD PROJECT

Question 2

what was the PROCEDURE of SROUFE ET AL’S STUDY?

Answer 2

Since 1975 the MOTHERS’ and the CHILDRENS’ BEHAVIOUR has been ASSESSED using QUESTIONNAIRES and OBSERVATIONS.

E.g the mothers and children were VIDEOTAPED WHILE PLAYING for a PERIOD OF 10-15 MINUTES AT HOME.

The mothers WERE AWARE that they were being RECORDED. TWO OBSERVERS ANALYSED THE RECORDINGS (inter observer reliability)

Question 3

what were the FINDINGS of the MINNESOTA PARENT-CHILD PROJECT? (SROUFE ET AL) - PT 1

Answer 3

as children, those who were CLASSED AS SECURELY ATTACHED INFANTS were:

• rated the HIGHEST FOR SOCIAL COMPETENCE
• were LESS SOCIALLY ISOLATED
• were MORE POPULAR WITH THEIR PEERS
• were MORE EMPATHETIC

Question 4

what were the FINDINGS of the MINNESOTA PARENT-CHILD PROJECT? (SROUFE ET AL) - PT 2

Answer 4

an infant’s EARLY ATTACHMENT creates their INTERNAL WORKING MODEL of WHAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE, HOW PARTNERS IN A RELATIONSHIP BEHAVE towards each other and WHAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT IN A RELATIONSHIP.

Those who are SECURELY ATTACHED will have a POSITIVE INTERNAL WORKING MODEL FOR RELATIONSHIPS and so are BETTER AT FORMING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Question 5

what were the LONG TERM EFFECTS of the MINNESOTA PARENT-CHILD PROJECT? (SROUFE ET AL)

Answer 5

If infants DO NOT HAVE AN EARLY ATTACHMENT DURING THE 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 TO OTHERS.

This becomes EVIDENT FROM THE AGE OF FIVE and is usually CAUSED BY SEVERE NEGLECT or FREQUENT CHANGE OF CAREGIVERS

Question 6

+ RELIABLE, SIMSPON ET AL (EVALUATION OF SROUFE ET AL)

Answer 6

+ this study is RELIABLE. 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 HIGHER SOCIAL COMPETENCE as children and were CLOSER TO THEIR FRIENDS AGED 16

Question 7

• DETERMINISTIC (EVALUATION OF SROUFE ET AL)

Answer 7

• this study claims that EARLY EXPERIENCES have a FIXED EFFECT on LATER CHILDHOOD RELATIONSHIPS and therefore children who are INSECURELY ATTACHED as INFANTS are DOOMED TO EXPERIENCE EMOTIONALLY UNSATISFACTORY RELATIONSHIPS as children.

It is therefore DETERMINISTIC (does not take account of PEOPLE’S FREE WILL to make CONSCIOUS DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIOUR)

Question 8

• TIZARD AND HODGES (EVALUATION OF SROUFE ET AL)

Answer 8

• there are LOTS OF STUDIES which CONTRADICT the claim that EARLY ATTACHMENT AFFECTS LATER CHILDHOOD RELATIONSHIPS.

TIZARD AND HODGES found that children RAISED IN CARE who had NEVER FORMED ANY ATTACHMENTS by the AGE OF FOUR, and were THEN ADOPTED, could STILL FORM ATTACHMENTS TO THEIR NEW ADOPTED PARENTS