Lesson 11 - Influence of Early Attachment on Childhood Relationships

Question 1

Sroufe et al. (2005)

Answer 1

Study was called the Minnesota Parent-Child Project
Began in 1975
The mother-child pairs continue to be studied today

Question 2

Sroufe et al. (2005) Procedure

Answer 2

Since 1975, the mothers’ and the childrens’ behaviour has been assessed using questionnaires and observations
Video taped - intra-observer reliability
Mothers are aware they are videotaped - social desirability bias
Two observers analysed recordings - inter-observer reliability

Question 3

Sroufe et al. (2005) Findings

Answer 3

Children securely attached as infants were

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

Infant’s early attachment creates internal working model of what relationships are and how partners behave towards each other
Those securely attached have positive internal working model so are better at farming and maintaining relationships

Question 4

Sroufe et al. (2005) Long Term Effects

Answer 4

If infants do not have early attachment during critical period, they have a lack of an internal working model for attachment
Leads to attachment disorder where children have no preferred atachment figuere and inability to interact and relate to others
Becomes evident from age of five and is usually caused by severe neglect or frequency caregiver changes

Question 5

Sroufe et al. (2005) Evaluation Points

Answer 5

Simpson et al. (2007)
Deterministic
Tizard and Hodges (1989)
Social Desirability Biased
Intra-Observer Reliability
Inter-Observer Reliability

Question 6

Sroufe et al. (2005) Evaluation
Simpson et al. (2007)
Positive

Answer 6

Found similar results when assessing infant attachment styles at one year of age
Several studies have found children securely attached as infants were rated as having higher social competence as children and were closer to their friends aged 16
Increases reliability

Question 7

Sroufe et al. (2005) Evaluation
Deterministic
Negative

Answer 7

Claims early experiences have a fixed effect on later childhood relationships thus children insecurely attached as infants are doomed to experience emotionally unsatisfactory relationships as children
Therefore deterministic as it does not take account of people’s free will to make conscious decisions about their behaviour

Question 8

Sroufe et al. (2005) Evaluation
Tizard and Hodges (1989)
Negative

Answer 8

Lots of studies contradicting claims of early attachment affecting later childhood relationships
Found children raised in care who never formed attachments by age of 4, and then adopted, could still form attachments to their new adopted parents