Attachment Research

Geese imprinting. Split eggs: one group hatched with mother, the oother group hatched and the first thing they saw was Lorenz.

Lorenz identified a critical period a few hours after hatching- if geese hadn't  imprinted during this time, they would not attach themselves to a mother figure

- = Not generalisable to humans.

- = Counter evidence- washing up glove.

Baby monkeys split from their mothers. The babies preferred to spend time with the warm cloth model rather than the wire feeding model.

Shows 'contact comfort' has more importance to the baby monkeys than food.

- = Lack of generalisability to humans.

- = Unethical-  monkeys suffered greatly.

Studied Glasgow babies for 18 months. Was a longitudinal study. Studied stranger ad separation anxiety. Created the 4 stages of attachment=

1. Associal Stage (first few weeks)

2. Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months)

3. Specific Attchment (7-12 months)

4. Multiple Attachments (1 year old)

+ = Good external validity (own homes)

- = Limited sample characteristics- same district, same social class, same city, 50 years ago.

Observed the bginnings of interactional synchrony in babiesas young as 2 weeks old. Got parents to do 1 of 3 facial expressions or gestures and filmed the baby's reaction.

+ = Controlled observations capture finer detail- filmed from different angles.

- =  Observer bias- difficult to know what is happening.

The Strange Situation- 7 episodes-

1. Child is encouraged to explore.

2. Stranger comes in and attempts to interact with the child.

3. Caregiver leaves child and stranger together.

4. Caregiver returns and stranger leaves.

5. Caregiver leaves the child alone.

6. Stranger returns.

7. Caregiver returns and is reunited with child.

Found that there were 3 types of attachment: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant.

+ = Reliable- all that were watcing agreed on attachment type.

- = Culture bound.

Completed a meta-analysis pf the Strange Situation across different countries.

Found that the largest attachment type is secure attachment.

Germany- highest percentage of insecure avoidant.

Japan- highest percentage of insecure resistant.

+ = Big sample.

- = Unrepresentative of culture- bigger  difference within countries than of countries as a whole.

Studied Italien mothers using the Strange Situation more recently (2014).

Found that only 50% of babies were securely attached to their caregiver.

This is becuase of mothers returning to work earlier andbecause of cultural differences.

+ = Controlled variables.

- = Method of assessment isbiased- Westernised cultures.

Interviewed 44 teenage thieves for signs of affectionless psychopathy. A control group of 44 mentally disturbed (but not thieves) young people were also interviewed.

Bowlby found that 14 of the thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths. 12 of these people had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers before the age of 2. In the control group, only 2 out of the 44 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers.

- = Researcher bias.

- = War orphans- may have been traumatised.

- = Failure to distinguish between deprivation and privation.

Studied Romanian orphans adopted by British families. Assessed at ages 4,6, 11 and 15 years. Control group of British children adopted at the same time used.

Found that Romanian orphans adopted after 6 months showed signs of insecure attachment. They showed signs of disinhibited atachment and mental retardation.

+ = Real life application- improvement of institutions.

- = Romanian orphanages were not typical.

Love quiz in magazine- asked questions on current most important relationship, general love experiences and attachment type.

Shows support for internal working model.

Those that were securely attached in childhood went on to form happy and trustworthy relationships in future. The avoidant responders tended to reveal jealousy and a fear of intimacy.