Attachment

Question 1

What is the primary caregiver’s role in attachment theory?

Answer 1

To provide a “safe base” for the infant by being consistent and aware
Research done by Bowlby

Question 2

What are the four main attachment styles?

Answer 2

Secure
Anxious
Avoidant
Disorganized

Question 3

What are the types of caregiver-infant attachments?

Answer 3

Reciprocity: A mutual 2 way process where the mother and infant both show social responsiveness. Infants have alert periodic phases where they are ready for interaction. This can be seen where the infant responds to the caregiver by doing similar actions e.g. nodding head or smiling
Interactional synchrony: this is where the mother and the infant mirror each other / actions

Question 4

What is a key study on attachment

Answer 4

Shafferon and Emerson
His aim was to investigate how early attachments were formed
His sample was 60 babies in Glasgow (working class family)
Method:
The researchers would visit the baby and the mother every month for a year. The mother would sometimes leave the house and strangers would come in,.The researcher would ask the mother if the child protested when they were seperated
They also assessed stranger anxiety
- Findings: 50% of babies from 25-30 wk showed signs of separation anxiety. Attachment was most abundant when the caregiver was most interactive and sensitive to the child. 80% of babies age 40wks had specific attachment while 30% displayed multiple attachments

Question 5

What are the stages of atachment

Answer 5

Stage 1: Asocial stage (0-3wks) = the baby displays no emotion
Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment (2-7mths) = observable social behaviour
Stage 3: Specific attachment (7mths) = baby displays anxiety towards strangers but is emotionally attached to their caregiver (Stranger Anxiety)
Stage 4: Multiple attachments (10mths) = the baby is attached to not only the caregiver but other people (e.g. siblings)

Question 6

What are the strengths and limits of attachment?

Answer 6

Strengths
REAL WORLD APPLICATION
MELTZOFF MOORE CASE STUDY (HIGH CONTROLLED OBSERVATION)
controlled observation therefore more reliable and valid + ecological validity
therefore can be repeated
Case study by Shaffaron and Emerson
Weakness
RESERACHER BIAS
Observations do not tell us the meaning of reciprocity and synchrony
We can not understand the cognitive process of the baby ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO MANIPULATE THE BABIES INTENTION (INTENTIONALITY)

Question 7

What is a limitation of Shaffaron And Emersons Study

Answer 7

They tested it on Norwegian baby from Glasgow therefore it lacks ecological validity
Cultural biased

Question 8

What is attachment?

Answer 8

Its an emotional long lasting bond between 2 people

Question 9

What is reciprocity

Answer 9

back and fourth interaction between humans e.g. baby and mother. Its a 2 way mutual process

Question 10

What is international synchrony

Answer 10

Small periods of time mirroring micro behavioural e.g. baby and mother doing same faces

Question 11

summarise learning theory

Answer 11

attachment is social learning theory + classical conditioning
cupboard love / if the caregiver gives food
AO3
pavlov dogs, skinner rats
cant generalise because too simplistic

Question 12

summarise bowlbys theory

Answer 12

critical periods are formed if attachments are not formed then there will be critical periods e.g. the mammal raging
bowlby did not test this just stated this - not valid
social releasers and internal working model
AO3
Harlow + Lorenz
Reductionist

Question 13

Explain culutural variations in attachment AO3

Answer 13

Lacks Temporal Validity
its greater within a country than outside. e.g. in china 50% secure is most common whereas in germany avoidant is most common and in Japan is more resistant 27% . could be because of different parenting styles. Secure is most common type B
2000 ppts (1990)
32 countries

Question 14

what were the findings in attachment strange situation

Answer 14

70% secure
25% avoidant
5% resistant

Question 15

What are 3 strengths for Caregiver infant interaction (AO3)

Answer 15

Highly controlled observation
For example in Meltzoff Study the researcher used technology to capture the babies behavior (this involved filming)
No Demand Characteristics
Practical application (real world application) For example mothers are supported to engage and respond to their children (show social responsiveness)

Question 16

What is a weakness for Caregiver infant interaction (AO3)

Answer 16

Researcher Bias therefore less valid (mary ainsworth)
Investigator effects
Intentionality
It is ethically impossible to manipulate the babies intention / behaviour
It is extremely difficult to find out what is going on to the babys point of view because all they are doing is facial expressions and hand movements but you dont know the babies intention in a deeper level

Question 17

describe the strange situation (AO1)

Answer 17

lab experiment to see how infants react when they are separated
children were exposed to mild stress
3 attachment types
secure attachment - infants show distress when the caregivers leave but feel comfort when they come back
insecure avoidant attachment - infants avoid or ignore caregiver showing little distress
insecure-resistant attachment - infants are clingy highly distressed when their caregiver leaves

Findings
70% secure
25% avoidant
5% resistant

Question 18

ao3 strange situation

Answer 18

-ve the strange situation relies on observers who look at the infants behaviour such as crying and clinging which can be subjective
if the researchers expect certain outcomes/behaviour they may accidently record behaviours to fit their hypothesis
this reduces the validity of the findings making it less valid

-ve
The Strange Situation takes place in a laboratory, which is unfamiliar to infants and caregivers. This artificial environment may exaggerate stress responses or produce behaviors that wouldn’t occur at home. As a result, the ecological validity is low — the findings may not fully represent natural caregiver–infant interactions.

-ve
Ethical concerns
The procedure deliberately stresses infants by separating them from their caregiver and introducing a stranger. While the stress is short-lived, it raises ethical questions about causing distress to young children. Some argue that the benefits of the research outweigh the harm, but the ethical debate remains important.

Question 19

shafferon and emerson AO3

Answer 19

+ve
Longitudinal design
Schaffer and Emerson followed 60 infants over 18 months, visiting them monthly. This allowed them to track how attachment developed over time rather than relying on a single snapshot. Longitudinal studies reduce participant variables because the same children are observed repeatedly. This strengthens the validity of their findings about the stages of attachment.

High ecological validity
The study was conducted in the infants’ own homes, rather than in a lab. This meant the babies were observed in their natural environment, behaving as they normally would. Because of this, the findings are more likely to reflect real-life caregiver–infant interactions. It makes the results more generalizable to everyday parenting.

-ve
Limited sample
The study only included 60 infants from working-class families in Glasgow. This is a narrow sample, meaning the findings may not generalize to other social classes, cultures, or time periods. Attachment patterns could differ in families with different lifestyles or cultural practices.

Self-report bias
Much of the data came from mothers reporting on their infants’ behaviors (like separation anxiety). Self-reports can be biased because mothers may misremember, exaggerate, or underreport behaviors. This reduces the reliability of the data and raises questions about accuracy

Question 20

What 3 things did the researchers assess in the strange situation

Answer 20

Separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety
Reunion behaviour (how the child reacts when the caregiver returns)