AS PSYCHOLOGY ATTACHMENT REVISION

What is an Attachment?

An emotional bond between two people. It is a two-way reciprocal process that endures over time.

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What is known as Reciprocity?

Responding to the action of another to elicit a response.

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What is Interactional Synchrony?

Interacting with one another by mirroring or performing similar actions, this includes emotions.

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Why are reciprocity and interactional synchrony important in the formation of an attachment?

Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony are vital in the formation of an attachment as they allow the child and the caregiver to hold good communication with one another and the child is given a sense of security and protection.

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Summarise the study by Meltzoff and Keith Moore (1977) into interactional synchrony.

The study was conducted using an adult model who displayed one of three facial expressions or hand gestures while the child watched with a dummy in their mouth. Next, the dummy was removed and the child's expression was filmed on camera.

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What did Meltzoff and Keith Moore (1977) find?

They found that infants as young as 2-3 weeks old imitated specific facial and hand gestures.

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Name a limitation of the study by Meltzoff and Keith Moore (1977).

There are problems with testing infant behaviour. Infants mouths and hands are in constant motion so it is hard to distinguish between general behavior and specific imitations.

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Outline Shaffer and Emerson's 1964 study into the development of attachment.

Carried a longitudinal study of 60 infants in Glasgow ages 5-23 weeks. Mothers were asked to record infants response when left alone, with other people, in their pram, when put down and when passed whilst in their cot etc.

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What did Shaffer and Emerson (1964) find?

They found that the infants developed attachments in a specific sequence. The mother was the main attachment figure for 65% of children at 18months whilst only 3% to father and 31% had formed multiple attachments. Showed sensitive responsiveness.

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Stage 1: Indiscriminate Attachment, Age: Birth-3 months

Infants produce similar responses to all objects, animate or inanimate. Reciprocity and interactional synchrony play a role in relationships. Towards the end they will show greater preference for social stimuli

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Stage 2: Beginnings of Attachment, Age: 4-6 months

Infants will become more social and prefer human company over inanimate. Can now distinguish familiar and unfamiliar people. Do not show stranger anxiety. Show general sociability (enjoy people's company)

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Stage 3: Discriminate Attachment, Age: 7-9 months

Infants will form a specific attachment to a primary caregiver. They will show separation and stranger anxiety and will look for quality in their relationships.

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Stage 4: Multiple Attachments, Age: 9 months - 1 year

Child will develop a wider circle of multiple attachments depending on the amount of consistent relationships. They will show separation anxiety within these attachments.

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Evaluate Shaffer and Emerson's research.

1. Unreliable Data, mothers reported on infants themselves, some who were less sensitive to infants protests were less likely to report them, creates systematic bias, questions validity. 2. Biased sample, working class,1960's 3. Multiple attachments?

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Why do we carry out animal studies?

To find research we can generalise to humans, no demand characteristics etc animals behave more naturally, more ethical than testing humans in some ways

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What are the advantages of animal studies?

Impacts and results can be seen quicker, no demand characteristics etc, can help to improve human life

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What are the disadvantages of animal studies?

Ethically questionable, Harder to generalise to humans as animals are still quite different.

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Outline Lorenz's 1935 study into imprinting.

The aim of the study was to test the effects of imprinting on attachment. Lorenz divided gosling eggs into two groups, half hatched with their natural mother and half in an incubator where the first thing they saw was Lorenz.

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What were the findings of Lorenz (1935)?

He found that the goslings divided themselves up where the control group followed their mother and the other half followed Lorenz with no recognition of their real mother.

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What did Lorenz 1935 conclude?

Lorenz concluded that imprinting is a process similar to attachment that binds a young animal into a special relationship. He found this must also happen during a critical period of a few hours. Imprinting is irreversible and long lasting

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Evaluate the work of Lorenz (1935)

Hard to generalise the findings to humans, we can make conscious decisions and develop biologically differently. Imprinting can actually be seen as a more "plastic and forgiving mechanism" (Hoffman 1996) and could be reversed (Guiton 1966 study)

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Why is imprinting of evolutionary benefit?

Imprinting is of evolutionary benefit as it fulfils an infants needs for survival. By imprinting into an attachment, they are able to access food and protection as well as learn essential life skills they will need in the future.

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Describe Harlow's (1959) study into the effects of privation.

Harlow created two wire mothers each with a different head, one wrapped in cloth. Eight orphan monkeys were studied for 165 days four could feed from cloth mother and other four could feed from wire mother.

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AS PSYCHOLOGY ATTACHMENT REVISION

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