Attachment

Mind map everything you know about Attachment

30 minutes to complete as many questions as you can For those questions that you do not complete, the mark scheme is available on the website under exam practice.

Q1. What is meant by the term 'attachment'? (2) Attachment can be defined as an emotional relationship between two people in which each seeks closeness and feels more secure when in the presence of the attachment figure.

Q2. What is meant by ‘reciprocity’ in the context of caregiver-infant interaction? (2) Reciprocity – The caregiver-infant interaction is a two-way/mutual process; each party responds to the other’s signals to sustain interaction (turn-taking). The behaviour of each party elicits a response from the other.

Q3. Identify two infant behaviours that are characteristic of an insecure-resistant attachment type. (2) • High or extreme stranger anxiety • High or extreme separation anxiety • Resist comfort from the caregiver on reunion • Explore less • More clingy.

Q4. Outline Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation. (3) Bowlby’s use of the term ‘deprivation’ Effects on development – intellectual, emotional, social, e.g. affectionless psychopathy, delinquency, low IQ • Critical period – an issue if prolonged separation, if before two and half years (but risk up to 5 years) and if no substitute available • Internal working model – this can lead to inability to be a good parent • Continuity hypothesis – if there are prolonged separations then there may be issues into adulthood.

Q5. Explain one criticism of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation Rutter criticized Bowlby’s theory over the critical period stating that there could be an overstatement of the effects of deprivation. In Rutter’s research in to Romanian orphans he found how the effects of deprivation could be reversed. Therefore, Rutter suggested that it should be called the ‘sensitive’ period and not the critical period as •Real-world application, e.g. the way children are cared for in hospital has changed as a result of Bowlby’s theory/research Economic implications of the theory (care, work, etc.).

Q6. Below are five evaluative statements about the Romanian orphan research. Which two statements are correct? (2) B and E

Q7. Briefly evaluate learning theory as an explanation of attachment plausible and scientific as founded in established theory, ie likely that association between the provision of needs and the person providing those needs can lead to strong attachments; reinforcers clearly delineated reductionist – the focus on basic processes (S-R links, reinforcement) too simplistic to explain complex attachment behaviours; environmentally deterministic such that early learning determines later attachment behaviours; theory founded in animal research and problems of inferring on the basis of animal studies Schaffer and Emerson – more than half of infants were not attached to the person primarily involved in their physical care Harlow – rhesus monkeys attach for contact comfort rather than food; Ainsworth - sensitive responsiveness may be more influential in forming attachments Schaffer - infants are active seekers of stimulation, not passive responders

Q8a. (4) Independent variable: age at which the children started day care, or whether the children started day care before or after age 2. (2) Dependent variable: aggression score, measure of aggression, level of aggression. (2)

Q8b. (2) The mean aggression score was slightly higher for children who started day care before the age of 2

Q8c. (1) Range Standard Deviation

Q8d/e D: (3) For full marks the bar chart should indicate a small difference. Both bars and the vertical axis should be correctly labelled. E: (2) Children who start day care before age 2 have higher aggression scores than those who start day care after age

Q9a.   Outline what the table above shows about cultural variations in attachment. (3) The table shows that the % of secure attachment in all three countries is very similar, but that insecure attachments vary. Country one has the lowest % of insecure-avoidant but the highest of insecure resistant. Country three has the lowest % of insecure-resistant but the highest of insecure-avoidant.

Q9b. Explain one criticism of investigating cultural variations in attachment using the ‘Strange Situation.’ (3) The findings for country two come from 18 different studies. We can’t be sure that all of the studies were carried out in the same way. It is possible that the ‘Strange Situation’ or ways of categorising types of attachment were different in the different studies.

Q10. What type of attachment is Ben likely to show? Explain your answer. (3) Ben is likely to be insecurely attached. Anya is showing characteristics of insensitive mothering because she is responding to her own needs rather than those of Ben.

Q10b. Explain how a psychologist could investigate Ben’s attachment type using Ainsworth’s Strange Situation. (3) The psychologist would observe Ben’s behaviour with his mother, when she leaves the room, when a stranger enters room, when the stranger plays with child, when child is alone and when mother returns.

Q11. Explain one reason why it is difficult to draw conclusions about the role of caregiver–infant interactions in the development of attachment. (2) cannot ever show cause and effect because it is ethically impossible to manipulate the quality of caregiver-infant interaction extraneous factors such as home environment / substitute care / life events / culture / temperament may have a long term effect on attachment and cannot be controlled.

Q12. Apart from ethical issues, explain one or more limitations of using the Strange Situation to assess the type of attachment in young children. (4) Cultural differences eg Children in Germany are encouraged to be independent and may therefore appear to show insecure avoidant attachment while infants in Japan are rarely separated from their mothers and may therefore appear insecure resistant. Effects of being in day care eg children who are used to being separated from their mother may show characteristics of insecure attachment. Lack of ecological validity. The children are in an unfamiliar environment so may act differently.

Q13. Use your knowledge of the effects of institutionalisation to advise Anca’s new parents about what to expect. (5) delayed intellectual development/low IQ/problems with concentration – Anca may struggle more at school than other children/may not learn new behaviours, concepts as quickly disinhibited attachment – Anca may not know what counts as ‘appropriate’ behaviour towards strangers emotional development – Anca may experience more temper tantrums, etc. lack of internal working model – Anca may have difficulty interacting with peers, forming close relationships, etc credit the idea that Anca may have been adopted before the age of 6 months and therefore any effects may not be as severe/long term had she been adopted later credit the suggestion that effects may be reversed with sensitive parenting.

Q14. Outline one or more studies that have investigated cultural variations in attachment. (6) Much of the research in to cultural variations has used the strange situation. Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta-analysis found secure attachment was the most common in all 8 cultures studied. The lowest % of secure attachment was shown in China, and the highest in Great Britain (75%). Furthermore, insecure avoidant was more common in western countries such as West Germany compared to non- western countries such as in Israel and Japan. However, In Israel and Japan, insecure resistant was the most common type of insecure attachment. Lastly, greater variation was shown within cultures (1.5 times greater) than the variation between cultures.