B541: Studies and Applications in Psychology

Year 11 Revision

B541: Studies and Applications in Psychology

ATTACHMENT

What is the definition of attachment? (1)

What are the two main measures of attachment? (2)

Two main measures of attachment are:

………………………………………………………………….. & ………………………………………………………………………..

3. Fill in the gaps using the words below:

……………………………………………… – When an individual shows upset and distress on separation from an attachment figure.

This measures how much a child is upset when they are left by their primary caregiver(s). If a child has formed an …………………………………to their primary………………………….., they will show ……………………levels of distress on separation, such as………………………, searching for the caregiver and …………………………after the caregiver. A child who has not formed an attachment will show little …………………….. when separated from the caregiver.

………………………………………….. – When an individual shows anxiety and distress in the presence of an unfamiliar person.

This measures how much a child is afraid when they are in presence of a stranger. If a child has formed an attachment to their primary caregiver(s), they will express ……………….when approached or left with a………………………. For example, they will start screaming, try to get ………………….from the stranger or appear tense. A child who has not formed an attachment will show little emotion in the presence of a stranger. (12)

sobbing separation protest attachment away high reaching caregiver fear stranger stranger anxiety emotion

4. Who developed the strange situation? (1)

5. Put the strange situation in order by placing numbers 1 – 8 in the box below: (8)

Stage / Description
The mother comforted the infant and then left for the second time
The stranger tried to comfort the infant
The mother returned and the stranger left
Finally, the mother returned and comforted the infant and the stranger left.
The infant was then left alone for a short period of time
The stranger returned and tried to interact with the infant
The infant played with some toys while the mother was still there
A stranger entered the lab and the mother left
Mothers and infants entered the lab

6. Colour code the boxes to match up the types of attachment, write in the attachment types: (12)

Type of Attachment / Description / Percentage found to be… / Most Common in…
Not stray far from the mother when playing
Extremely distressed when mother left
Seek and reach out for mother on return but then resist her and push her away.
Very difficult for strangers to comfort them / 70% / Germany
Explore while playing with toys in lab
Use mother as a safe base
Showed signs of distress when mother left
Easily comforted on her return
Allowed stranger to comfort them but preferred being with their mother / 15% / Japan
Play in the lab but did not pay attention to the mother whilst playing
Not distressed when mother left
Easily comforted by the stranger
Ignore mother on return to the lab / 15% / UK

7. Core Theory – Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment

Bowlby argues that attachment is ……………………………….. & …………………………………… (2)

8. Draw an arrow from the aspect of the theory and its description. (4)

Aspect of Theory / Description
Monotropy: / When a child has formed an attachment to a primary caregiver, but then it is broken. Bowlby argued that children experience deprivation if they are separated from the caregiver for a week or longer in the first 5 years of life. For example, mother/father leaves home, parents dying, spending time in hospital.
Critical Period: / Would occur if a child did not form any attachment with a primary caregiver. For example, if a child is placed in a childrens’ home or in many foster homes they may not have the opportunity to form an attachment with one person. Or a child who suffers from extreme neglect from their parents with no love or care may also suffer the effects of privation. The effects of privation can be extreme e.g. poor social skills, language skills and motor skills. These effects can last into adulthood.
Privation / An attachment to one primary caregiver. He stated that infants attach themselves to one person that cares for them the most.
Deprivation / He believed that the attachment also had to happen in the first 3 years of the infants’ life, but most preferably in the first year. The critical period is critical in the sense that if children did not form an attachment in that time, they would suffer negative psychological effects, especially in adulthood.

9. Evaluate Bowlby’s Theory of attachment. (4).

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. Alternative Theory: The Behaviourist Theory

This theory argues that attachment is based on:

a)………………………………………………………………………..

b)……………………………………………………………………….

c)……………………………………………………………………….(3)

11. Fill in the gaps using the words below:

If an infant ……………………..with its caregiver (e.g. by ………………………..at them, smiling, …………………….. or crying), they will receive ………………………….and this is ……………………………….for him or her. The ……………………………….will also feed, comfort and keep the child……………………………, which is also rewarding. This reinforces the ………………………..between caregiver and infant, which means that attachment behaviours become more common.

The infant and caregiver learn to bond with each other because they both ………………………………..from the relationship. This also explains why the children do not bond with caregivers who ………………………..or abuse them – there is nothing rewarding about the………………………….

caregiver Interacts cooing rewarding relationship safe benefit neglect gazing attention bond

11. Core Study: Hazen & Shaver’s (1987) Love Quiz

Answer the Questions Below:

a) What was the aim of Hazen & Shaver’s Research? (1)

b) What method did Hazen and Shaver use? (1)

c) What sampling technique did Hazen and Shaver use? (1)

d) What two variables were measured by the love quiz? (2)

e) What were the 3 findings of Hazen and Shaver’s study? (3)

f) What can we conclude from Hazen and Shaver’s research? (1)

12. Evaluating the Core Study of Attachment.

Colour code the table to match up the PEELs.

POINT / EXAMPLE / EXPLANATION / LINK
One issue with the study is that Hazen & Shaver’s sample is unrepresentative. / This is because asking people about their intimate relationships and their upbringing is sensitive, so they may lie, exaggerate or cover up their relationships through embarrassment. Furthermore, the questionnaires also relied on people reporting about their childhoods. Respondents may not have had accurate memories of their upbringing as memory can be unreliable. / This is an issue because only certain types of people i.e. those who were keen may have responded to the questionnaire or sent it back. Those individuals with a bad relationship or had a troubled childhood may have not sent it back and are therefore missing from the results. More females responded than males (gender-biased) and the quiz only appeared in one newspaper, meaning only certain people from one area/class/culture responded. / As a result, the internal validity of the research may be questioned.
Another issue with Hazen & Shaver’s research is that respondents may have lied and given inaccurate answers on the questionnaires. / This is because they used a voluntary sampling method by advertising their ‘love quiz’ in a newspaper. / This is an issue because respondents may have wanted to select anther answer that wasn’t available, or elaborate/explain their responses but they couldn’t. / As a result, the internal validity of the study can be questioned.
Another issue is that the questionnaire used closed questions. / This is because the ‘love quiz’ was a multi-choice questionnaire where respondents had to choose an answer that was already there. / This is an issue because Hazen & Shaver may not have measured what they set out to measure (whether attachment types affect the type of relationship in adulthood). / Consequently, this reduces the explanatory power of the study.

13. Application of Research into Attachment: Care of Children.

Fill in the gaps using the words below:

One application of research into attachment has been the change of …………………….. policies. Around 50 years ago, hospitals only considered ………………………factors in treating…………………………; new born babies were taken away after birth and kept………………………... However, research showed the importance of giving mother and babies the opportunity to bond as ………………….as they were born. Now, hospitals encourage skin to …………………. contact after birth to give the baby a sense of ………………………. and comfort – the beginning of bonding. Also, babies are now put at the mother’s……………………., so they can have continued contact.

separately hospital children closeness physical skin bedside soon