attachment

attachemnt

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  • Created by: Genevieve
  • Created on: 21-12-10 12:28

Longitudinal study of ex-institutional children by

Type of study: NATURAL EXPERIMENT

IV: attachment experiences (which varied naturally)

Aims: To investigate the facts of early privation on subsequent social and emotional development, to test the maternal deprivation hypothesis, by following the same children over a long period of time to collect reliable information linking early expericens to later outcomes for the same individuals. 

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Longitudinal study of ex-institutional children by

Procedures

-Followed 65 children who were put into institutions when they were less that 4 months old. (there was a policy against any caregivers forming attachments with the children - meaning they'd experienced privation)

-By the aged of 4 years, 24 had been adopted, 15 had returned to their natural homes, and the rest remained in the institution. 

-Assessment at age 8 and 16 involved interviewing the children (+ their parents, teachers and peers) who were adopted and those who'd returned to their natural homes. 

-Data was collected from a group of 'normal' peers.

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Longitudinal study of ex-institutional children by

Findings

Adopted children had close attachments to thier parents + good family realtionships

Restored children had weaker attachments to their parents  + poor family relationships.

Both groups were more likely to seek adult attention and approval and were less successful in peer relationships.

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Longitudinal study of ex-institutional children by

Conclusions:

Bowlby was correct to emphasise the importance of the early years, but the effects of delay in the formation of attachments do not necessarily persist into adulthood and lead to affectionless psychopathy, as Bowlby predicted.

Loving relationships and high quality care are necessary to reverse privation effects.    

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Longitudinal study of ex-institutional children by

Evaluation:

Hodges & Tizard used interviews and questionnaires, both of which can produce answers that are affected by?

Social desirability. 

Attrition

Some families refused to take part in this later research. It could be that families experiencing more difficulties were more likely to refuse, and this may also apply to the comparison group, because the families who agreed to take part may have been those with fairly good relationships with their 16-year-olds. Thus, the results of the research may be biased due to the sample.

It's hard to establish cause & effect: Institutionalised children don’t just suffer emotional privation but also poor physical care such as bad diet and also lack of stimulation.  As a result it is difficult to separate out the effects of privation and of physical care.

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Privation and the effects of institutionalisation

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Comments

Krista

Report

Just what I was looking for, easy and simple. Thanks 

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