Attachments
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- Created by: Dani
- Created on: 24-03-13 12:02
What is the definition of attachment?
An emotional tie or relationship between two people, shown through their behaviour of seeking closeness and feeling secure together.
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What are four ways that attachments can be measured?
Seeking proximity, distress on separation, joy on reunion and orientation of behaviour.
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Lorenz
Study of animal behaviour (ethology) - geese. Geese attach to the first moving object they see after birth.
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What is the 'critical period' suggested by Lorenz?
The few hours after birth during which geese have to form an attachment. if they don't do so in this time, they never will.
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What is imprinting?
Forming an attachment with the first moving object seen.
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Evaluation of Lorenz's study
P: Use of animals in research. E: Lorenz looked at goslings so their attachment methods would be different to humans. C: Therefore we can't generalise this to humans, so it isn't a useful explanation of human attachments
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Klaus and Kennel
Investigate whether early skin-to-skin contact has any effect on formation of attachments. Found that early s-s contact for extended time resulted in a stronger bond being formed.
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Evaluation of Klaus and Kennel's study
P: Sample bias. E: Only young, single, American mother were studied. C: therefore it can't be generalised to other groups of people, so isn't useful.r
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Evaluation of Klaus and Kennel's study cont'd
However... P: Study was replicated in Sweden. E: Similar results found. C: Idea is generalisable and eliminates cultural bias, so is more valid in explaining attachments.
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Advantages/Disadvantages of questionnaires
+ cheap, easy to create and carry out, quick, varied sample, can gain qualitative and quantitative data, versatile- different situations, closed questions- easy to analyse. - lack of quality, misleading questions, researcher effects, misinterpetation
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Evaluation of observations
+ not influenced by researcher, ecologically valid- natural environment. - Can't control extraneous variables, investigator bias, might not follow ethical guidelines
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Evaluation of interviews
+ Lots of information, participant can freely express themselves. - Social desirability, investigator effects, participator effects
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Participant attrition
Participants may leave the study before it is complete. More likely to occur in longitudinal studies.
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Schaffer and Emerson
6 wks-6months - no attachments but like people. 6-9 months - babies show separation anxiety and stranger distress. 65% first attached to mother, 3% to father, 27% joint attachment. 10months-1yr - multiple attachments (siblings, grandparents etc)
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Evaluation of Scaffer and Emerson's study
+ Ecological validity, triangulation, ethical. - Cultural bias- only Glasgow, historical validity
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Learning theory
We are all born a blank slate, and learn our behaviour from rewards and punishments, association, and role models.
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Operant conditioning
Learn through rewards and punishments. Behaviour which is positively reinforced is more likely to be repeated. Behaviour which is negatively reinforced is less likely to be repeated.
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Classical conditioning
Associate behaviour with a stimulus - creates a natural response towards the stimulus.
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Evaluation of learning theory
+ Face validity, real-life application. - Food doesn't always lead to attachments, most studies carried out on animals, only looks at behavioural approach.
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Harlow's monkeys
Babies were more likely to go to the soft, cuddly 'mother' rather than the wire 'mother' which gave them food. Suggests babies like comfort, not just the prospect of food.
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Schaffer and Emerson
Found that most babies' primary attachment isn't with their physical caregiver.
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Evolutionary theory
Adaptive advantage, Social releasers, Critical period, Monotropy, Internal working model.
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Evaluation of evolutionary theory
+ IWM supprted by Hazan and Shaver, and Black and Schutte. - more trusting if they had a loving relationship with mother. - Cultural bias (western), deterministic, monotropy isn't necessarily true.
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Strange situation method
1. mother & child in room, child free to explore. 2. after 3 mins, stranger enters. 3. stranger initiates interaction with infant. 4. mother leaves. Stranger comforts child if distressed. 5. mother returns after 3 mins, stranger leaves.
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Strange situation method cont'd
6. mother leaves after 3 mins, leaving child alone. 7. stranger re-enters and offers comfort to child. 8. mother returns, stranger leaves
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Evaluation of the strange situation method
+ Reliable, high inter-rater reliability, ethical. - Low population validity, cultural bias, no ecological validity, not all babies fit into attachment types, no protection of participants
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Soloman and Main
Not all babies behaved consistently, and responded differently when procedures were repeated. Children categorised in Group D - Disorganised attachments.
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Types of attachments - Secure
70% of infants. Cries/distress on separation. Weary of stranger. Calms quickly on mother's return. Explores more, using mother as safe base. Easy babies. Sensitive mothering style
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Types of attachments - Insecure ambivalent
15% of infants. Very upset on separation. Avoids stranger. Not easily comforted on return, and rejects attempts to comfort. Cries more, and explores less. Temperament - slow to warm up. Less sensitive/responsive mothering - inconsistent.
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Type of attachments - Insecure avoidant
15% of infants. Shows some distress on separation. Rejects strangers attempts to comfort. Didn't seek comfort on mother's return. Comforted the same by mother and stranger. Difficult babies. Mothering style -less sensitive/responsive, less attention.
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Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg
Meta-analysis - 32 studies from 8 countries. Used Strange Situation. Secure attachments most common everywhere. Avoidant attachments more common in Western countries. Ambivalent are more common in collectivist societies(Israel, Japan, China).
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Evaluation of Ijzendorn and Kroonenberg's study
+ Findings mostly support Ainsworth's findings. - Inter-cultural differences, intra-cultural differences, disproves Bowlby's evolutionary theory(born with ability to form attachments)
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Seeking proximity, distress on separation, joy on reunion and orientation of behaviour.
Back
What are four ways that attachments can be measured?
Card 3
Front
Study of animal behaviour (ethology) - geese. Geese attach to the first moving object they see after birth.
Back
Card 4
Front
The few hours after birth during which geese have to form an attachment. if they don't do so in this time, they never will.
Back
Card 5
Front
Forming an attachment with the first moving object seen.
Back
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