Lesson 11: The Influence Of Early Attachment On Childhood Relationships

Question 1

What was the study called?

Answer 1

The Minnesota Parent-Child Project (1975- present)

Question 2

What was the procedure?

Answer 2

• Since 1975, both mother and children’s behaviour has been assessed through observations + questionnaires.
• Mothers were videotaped whilst playing for 10-15 mins at home. (Intra-observer reliability)
• Mothers knew they were being videotaped (social desirability bias)
• 2 observers analysed the recordings (inter-observer reliability)

Question 3

What were the findings?

Answer 3

Children who were classed as securely attached were

• Rated highest for social competence
• Less socially Isolated
• More popular
• More empathetic
• Early attachment creates their Internal Working Model of what relationships are, how partners behave and what they should expect in a relationship. Securely attached people will have a positive internal working model, and will be better and forming/maintaining relationships

Question 4

What are Long Term effects?

Answer 4

• If children do not have an early attachment during the critical period, it would result in a lack of an internal working model. This could lead to attachment disorder (no preferred attachment figure, inability to interact/relate to others)
• This is evident from age 5 and is caused by severe neglect or frequent change of caregivers

Question 5

Evaluation (+)

Answer 5

• Study is reliable. Another psychologist found similar results. Studies found children who were securely attached were rated having higher social competence

Question 6

Evaluation (-)

Answer 6

• Deterministic as it believes early experiences have a fixed effect on later life
• Many studies contradict that early attachment affects layer childhood relationships. A psychology’s found that children raised in care who hadn’t formed attachments by age 4 could form attachments with their new foster parents after they were adopted.