P1: Attachment

Question 1

Name three of the stages of attachment identified by Schaffer

Answer 1

-Asocial
-Indiscriminate
-Specific

Question 2

What is meant by ‘reciprocity’ in the context of caregiver-infant interaction?

Answer 2

Reciprocity – caregiver-infant interaction is a two-way/mutual process; each party responds to
the other’s signals to sustain interaction (turn-taking). The behaviour of each party elicits a
response from the other.

Question 3

Briefly evaluate research into caregiver-infant interaction (4)

Answer 3

• Dont know whether infants actions are meaningful. Babies cant communicate and dont have good motor coordination. Decrease validity

+ A strength is that the observations conducted were well-controlled and were filmed from different angles, which allowed researchers to capture the fine detail and further analyse.

Question 4

Anca is an orphan who has recently been adopted by a British couple. Before being
adopted, Anca lived in an institution with lots of other children in very poor conditions.
Her new parents are understandably concerned about how Anca’s early experiences may
affect her in the future.
-Use your knowledge of the effects of institutionalisation to advise Anca’s new parents
about what to expect. (5)

Answer 4

1)Address Q
2)PSYCH;
In a study of similar children to Anca conducted by Rutter, found orphans scored worse than a control group on measures of physical, social and cognitive development. Apart from suffering maternal deprivation, because Anca lived in an institution with very poor conditions, she may have been mentally under-stimulated, malnourished and uncared for.
3)Link;
* delayed intellectual development/low IQ/problems with concentration – Anca may struggle
more at school than other children/may not learn new behaviours, concepts as quickly
* disinhibited attachment – Anca may not know what counts as ‘appropriate’ behaviour towards
strangers
* emotional development – Anca may experience more temper tantrums, etc.

Question 5

State 2 effects of institutionalisation

Answer 5

-Low IQ
-Disinhibited attachments

Question 6

Outline findings from research into the role of the father in attachment.

Answer 6

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964) – 75% of infants studied had formed an attachment with the father at 18
  months
• research shows that the father may fulfil a qualitatively different role from that of the mother – play vs
  emotional support – but this is just as crucial to the child’s wellbeing
• research shows that the father in a single parent family is more likely to adopt the traditional maternal
  role
• quality of attachment with the father may be less influential in adolescence – Grossman (2002)
• research shows that the role of the father may differ depending on the gender of the child.

Question 7

Explain the economic implications of research into the role of the father in attachment(4)

Answer 7

• increasingly fathers remain at home and therefore contribute less to the economy consequently
  more mothers may return to work and contribute to the economy
• changing laws on paternity leave – government-funded so affects the economy; impact upon
  employers
• gender pay gap may be reduced if parental roles are regarded as more equal

Question 8

Nine-year-old Annie asks her mother, “What was I like as a toddler?”
“Oh, you could be a bit difficult,” Annie’s mother replies. “You used to scream when I
left you at nursery. When I returned to pick you up, you would run towards me and
then push me away.”
1-Identify the attachment type that Annie’s mother is describing.

2-Distinguish between two other types of attachment (4)

Answer 8

1- Insecure resistant

2- * secure attachment/Type B shows moderate levels of stranger anxiety whereas
insecure-avoidant/Type A shows low levels
* Type B shows moderate levels of separation anxiety whereas Type A shows low levels
* Type B shows joy on reunion whereas Type A shows little response
* Type B shows use of attachment figure as a safe base whereas Type A shows high levels of
independent behaviour

Question 9

Studies of attachment often involve naturalistic observations.
Suggest one way in which studies of attachment could be improved by using controlled observations. (3)

Answer 9

• controlled observations can minimise extraneous variables
• controlled observations are likely to have standardised procedures, so reliability/replication is more of
  a possibility than in naturalistic observations
• cause and effect relationships are easier to establish than in a naturalistic observation

Question 10

Outline one difference in attachment behaviours shown by infants who have an
insecure-avoidant attachment and infants who have an insecure-resistant attachment (2)

Answer 10

• level of separation anxiety – low (avoidant) vs high (resistant)
• level of stranger anxiety – low (avoidant) vs high (resistant)
• response on reunion – indifference (avoidant) vs ambivalence (resistant)
• proximity seeking – low/independent behaviour (avoidant) vs high/clingy (resistant).