P1 - Attachment - Key studies

Question 1

Explain research into caregiver-infant interactions

Answer 1

Meltzoff & Moore
Infants as young as two weeks old were able to imitate specific facial and hand gestures by a caregiver model
Supports interactional synchrony

Question 2

Explain research into stages of attatchments

Answer 2

Schaffer & Emerson
Carried out a study on families in Glasgow and from their observations they developed a 4-stage model of attachment formation, such as indiscriminate and discriminate attachments
Demonstrates stages of attachment. Also shows evidence of multiple attachment and contradicts learning theory

Question 3

Explain Harlow’s research into explanations of attachments

Answer 3

Found that monkeys provided with two surrogate mothers (one made of wire that provided food and one covered in a cloth) were more attached to the one that gave comfort rather than food
Contradicts learning theory

Question 4

Explain Lorenz’s research into explanations of attachments

Answer 4

Demonstrated ‘imprinting’ by being the first thing that baby geese saw. They treated him as a caregiver and followed him around until adulthood
Supports Bowlby’s innate theory

Question 4

Explain Lorenz’s research into explanations of attachments

Answer 4

Demonstrated ‘imprinting’ by being the first thing that baby geese saw. They treated him as a caregiver and followed him around until adulthood
Supports Bowlby’s innate theory

Question 5

Explain Bowlby’s research into explanations of attachments

Answer 5

Tested his Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis by studying juvenile thieves. Found a significantly high proportion of them had been maternally deprived in early life.
Supports Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

Question 6

Explain research into types of attathcments

Answer 6

Ainsworth
Created the Strange Situation Method, from which she categorised three attachment types (secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant)
Demonstrates types of attachment

Question 7

Explain research into cultural variation of attatchment

Answer 7

Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg
Conducted a meta-analysis of different Strange Situation experiments from around the world and found secure attachment was always the most common, with variations between countries
Cultural differences support learning theory; Cultural similarities support innate theory

Question 8

Explain Rutter’s research into Institutionalisation

Answer 8

Carried out longitudinal research of Romanian orphans and found significant differences in the recovery and progress of those adopted before and after 6 months of age

Question 9

Explain Zeanah’s research into Institutionalisation

Answer 9

Institutionalised (Romanian) orphans who had spent 90% or more of their lives in an institution were significantly more likely to show disinhibited attachment type than a ‘normal’ control who had not been in an institution

Question 10

Explain Hazan & Shaver research into influence of early attachment

Answer 10

Conducted the ‘love quiz’, which was a retrospective questionnaire asking participants about their earliest attachments. Found a correlation between early attachment type and later romantic relationships.
Supports internal working model

Question 11

Explain Simpson’s research into influence of early attachment

Answer 11

Conducted a longitudinal study over 25+ years and found a positive correlation between participants’ earliest attachments (using Strange Situation method) and future relationships, both platonic and romantic.
Supports internal working model in a longitudinal way