Attachment - Studies

AIM: To investigate interactional synchrony between infants and their caregivers

METHOD: Controlled observation. Used infants aged 2 - 4 weeks old. Babies exposed to 4 different stimuli from an adult model; 3 facial gestures (stick tongue out, open mouth, pout) and 1 manual gesture (wave fingers). Each babies response to the gesture was observed and all actions were video recorded.

There were independent observers who had no knowledge of what the infant had seen and were asked to note down what they see using a number of behavioural categories. Each observer scored the tapes twice allowing for INTRA-observer (check against self) and INTER-rater (check against each other) reliability to be assessed. RELIABILITY = 0.92

FINDINGS: There was an association between the infant behaviour and that of the adult model, ie. young infants could imitate both facial expressions and manual gestures

CONCLUSION: That the ability to imitate serves as an important building block for later social and cognitive development

AIM: To investigate importance of interactional synchrony in the development of mother-infant attachment

METHOD: Observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of synchrony. Researchers assessed the quality of mother-infant attachment.

FINDINGS: High levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment

CONCLUSION: Link between high degree of synchrony and high quality attachment

AIM: To assess whether there was a pattern of attachment formation that was common  in all infants and to identify and describe the distinct stages at which attachments form

METHOD: Longitudinal study. Studied 60 babies for the first 18 months of life in Glasgow, in their own homes. Babies are visited monthly for a year and their interactions with carers are observed as well as carers being interviewed. Researchers asked questions like whom the infant smiled at and who they responded to and who caused them distress. Measured attachment in 2 ways; 1) separation protest - assessed through everyday situations eg. left in a room alone, left in cot at night 2) stranger anxiety - assessed by researcher by starting each home visit by approaching infant to see if it distressed the child

FINDINGS: At around 6-8 months, most infants showed separation protest when parted from attachment figure. Those infants who were strongly attached had mothers who quickly responded to their needs. At 18 months, 87% had atleast 2 attachments, 31% had 5 or more attachments and 39% were not attached to the person who fed them

CONCLUSION: Multiple attachments are the norm and attachments are made with those who respond most to childs needs.

AIM: To invesitgate attachment in animals

METHOD: Split a large clutch of greylag goose eggs into 2 batches, one hatched naturally with the mother and the other hatched in an incubator where Lorenz was the first moving thing the goslings encountered. Marked all the goslings so could identify which group. Immediately after birth, naturally hatched followed mother around, incubator hatched followed Lorenz around. Placed both sets of goslings in an upturned box.

FINDINGS: Found the naturally hatched went to the mother when released from under the box and the incubator hatched went towards Lorenz. Showing the bonds were irreversible and that imprinting occurs between 4 - 25 hours after hatching.

CONCLUSION: Due to bonds being irreversible it suggests it is biological

AIM: To study how newborn baby rhesus monkeys bond with their mothers (these monkeys are highly dependent on mothers for nutrition and protection)

METHOD: Harlow created two wire mothers with a different head ie. one wrapped in soft cloth whereas the other was wire. 8 monkeys reared by surrogate mothers immediately after birth - 4 monkeys had a milk bottle on the cloth mother and other 4 had milk bottle on the wire mother. Measured how much time monkeys spent with each wire mother and observed the infants reaction when frightened

FINDINGS: Monkeys spent most of their time with the cloth mother, whether it had the milk bottle or not - only spent a short time with wire monkey whilst feeding. When monkeys were frightened, all monkeys clung to the cloth mother and when playing with new objects they kept one foot on the cloth mother for reassurance.

CONCLUSION: Don't develop an attachment to who feeds them, but do to who offers contact comfort

AIM: To observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a child's attachment to a caregiver

METHOD: Controlled observation. Used behaviours such as proximity seeking, exploration and secure base behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and response to reunion in order to judge attachment. Child and caregiver enter an unfamilar playroom and each of the 7 episodes lasted 3 minutes. First the child is encouraged to explore to test exploration and secure base behaviour. Secondly, the stranger enters and attempts to interact with the child to test stranger anxiety. Thirdly, the  caregiver leaves the child and stranger alone to test separation and stranger anxiety. Fourthly, the caregiver returns and stranger leaves to test reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base behaviour. Next, the caregiver leaves child alone to test separation anxiety. Then, the stranger returns to test stranger anxiety. Finally, the caregiver returns and is reunited with the child to test reunion behaviour.

FINDINGS: 3 attachment types, Type B=securely attached (distressed when left and comforted when returned, used mother as secure base). Type A=insecure-avoidant (not distressed when left and ignored mother on return, comfortable with stanger,mother inconsistent child doesn't depend). Type C=insecure-resistant (stay close to mother rather than explore, distressed alone but resist comfort on return, inconsisten mother cause them to be anxious of her)

CONCLUSION: A childs attachment style is dependent on the behaviour their mother shows towards them. Sensitive mothers are responsive to childs needs and respond correctly so child is more securely attached. Less sensitive mothers, respond to childs needs incorrectly, or are impatient or ignore the child, likely to have insecurely attached children

AIM: To investigate the range of secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments across a number of countries and to look at the differences within the same countries to see a variation within a culture

METHOD: Meta-analysis. Researchers looked at 32 studies of attachment which were carried out in 8 countries, 15 were in the USA. Overall studies yielded data from 1990 children.

FINDINGS: Britain had the highest % of secure attachments of 74% whereas China had the lowest % of secure attachments of 49%. Britain had the lowest insecure resistant children at 3% whereas Israel had the highest % of insecure resistant at 28%. Germany had the highest % of insecure avoidant at 34% whereas Japan had the least at 5%

CONCLUSION: Secure attachments seem to be the norm in a wide range of cultures therefore supporting Bowlby's idea that attachment is innate and universal. However, research shows how cultural practices have an influence on attachment type

AIM: What extent good care could make up for very poor early experiences in institutional care

METHOD: Longitudinal. 165 Romanian orphans that were adopted in Britain were tracked. 111 were adopted before the age of 2 and 54 were adopted after the age of 2 but before the age of 4. They were then compared to a control group of 52 British children who were adopted before the age of 6 months. The children were followed up at ages 4,6,11 and 15

FINDINGS: When they arrived in the UK they showed signs of mental retardation, severly malnourished, smaller and weighed less than British orphans. By the age of 4, those adopted before 2 had caught up physically and cognitively to the British children. However those adopted after 2 had significant cognitive, social and physical development problems. By age 11, the IQ of those adopted before 2 was 102 compared to 77 for those adopted after 2, the differences in IQ were endured still at age 16. Differences in attachment depending on whether adoption took place before or after 6 months. Those adopted after 6 months showed signs of disinhibited attachment (clingy, attention seeking, over familar). Those adopted before rarely showed signs of this.

CONCLUSION: Supports the idea of Bowlby's critical period as those who did not form an attachment in this period never seemed to fully recover

AIM: To look at the effects of institutionalisation

METHOD: Compared 136 Romanian children who had, on average, spend 90% of their lives in an institution, to a control group of Romanian children who had never been in an institution. Children were aged 12 - 31 months (about 1-2 and half years) and were assessed in the Strange Situation

FINDINGS: The institutionalised children showed signs of disinhibited attachment

CONCLUSIONS: Institutional care may have long term negative effects on a child such as disinhibited attachment and social problems - especially when children do not have the opportunity to form an alternative attachment. When there is the opportunity for an alternative attachment, especially before 6 months, development may be normal

AIM: To find out whether romantic love shows the same attachment styles as those found among children - looking at the associaton between attachment and adult relationships

METHOD: Analysed 620 repliedto a 'love quiz' printed in an American local newspaper. Quiz had 3 sections, the first assessed respondents current or most important relationship. Second part assessed general love experiences such as number of partners. Third part assessed attachment type by asking to choose which statements best described their feelings.

FINDINGS: 56% of respondents identified as securely attached, 25% insecure-avoidant, 19% insecure-resistant. Those who reported being securely attached were most likely to have good and longer lasting relationships. The avoidant respondents tended to avoid closeness and very independent don't like relying on others. Resistant, tend to be clingy and insecure, uncomfortable with independence.

CONCLUSION: Patterns of attachment behaviour are reflected in romantic relationships