ATTACHMENT: STRIPPED

MEASURES OF ATTACHMENT

There are two main measures (or signs) of attachment;

(1)  Separation protest: this is when an infant shows distress at being taken away from their carer, or gets upset when their carer leaves them.

(2)  Stranger anxiety: this is when an infant shows fear or distress when in the presence of an unfamiliar person.

Sometimes the exam will ask for definitions of these measures so you can use what is above. However, other times, you may be asked about how attachment is measured. If this is the case, you need to answer differently by saying specifically how you would set up an observation to see if an infant had attached or not e.g. ‘I would introduce a child to an unfamiliar person when the carer is not there and then observe to see how distressed the child is’.

Remember, if asked for a definition of ‘separation protest’ you should not be using the words ‘separation/separating/separate’ and ‘protest(ing)’ as part of your answer. Similarly, if asked for a definition of ‘stranger anxiety’ find other words for stranger (e.g. unfamiliar person) and for anxiety (e.g. upset/distressed).

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATTACHMENT

Even when an infant has attached to a carer, there are different types of attachment – some better than others.

(i)  Secure attachment: Infants are not afraid to explore their environment but use their carer as a ‘safe base’. If the carer leaves them, they do get distressed. However the carer can comfort them quite easily when he or she returns. The secure infant trusts strangers.

(ii)  Insecure Avoidant attachment: Infants do not pay much attention to their carers when playing, and will go off and explore without really checking the carer is there. If the carer leaves them, they don’t get that distressed. They don’t really notice when an absent carer returns. If upset, they can be comforted just as well by a stranger as their carer.

(iii)  Insecure Ambivalent attachment: Infants do not stray very far from the carer when playing. Sometimes these infants are very clingy whereas other times they resist being comforted by the carer. If the carer leaves them, they get extremely distressed. It is very difficult for a stranger to comfort an insecure ambivalent infant.

Quite often, the exam gives you a source describing different types of infants and you have to work out which attachment type they have. You won’t be surprised to hear that the most common mistake is mix up Insecure Avoidant and Insecure Ambivalent so make sure you know the difference. Remember that Avoidant infants avoid contact (i.e. are independent).

BOWLBY’S THEORY OF ATTACHMENT

Description / Criticisms
§  He believed that attachments happened instinctively.
§  Infants only attach to one primary caregiver – known as monotropy.
§  This attachment has to happen in the first 3 years of a child’s life – the critical period.
§  If an attachment does not happen or if it is broken this leads to long term negative effects which are irreversible. /
  • Attachments are the result of learning not instinct.
  • Infants can form multiple attachments e.g. with both parents, grandparents, professional carers.
  • The first 3 years form a sensitive period – the best time to attach but not the only time to.
  • Evidence shows that children that have experienced deprivation and privation can still go on to be psychologically healthy.

When criticising Bowlby’s theory, you need to make sure that your points are actually evaluating and not just describing. For example, saying that Bowlby believed in monotropy is not a criticism in itself. You need to explain that he made a mistake assuming that infants attach to just one caregiver and then quote evidence which shows this i.e. evidence of multiple attachments. Similarly, saying Bowlby believed attachments are instinctive is not a criticism (just a description) – however, expressing the point as ‘Bowlby only believed in instinctive attachments’ is more critical and stating that ‘he ignored the role of learning in attachments’ is even better.

DEPRIVATION VS PRIVATION

Do not make mistake of outlining what deprivation and privation are if you are describing them as part of Bowlby’s theory. It is more important to focus on what Bowlby said the effects of deprivation/privation are. Remember, he thought the effects were extreme and negative, and more importantly irreversible. Not all psychologists agreed with him though.

You can be asked for an example of deprivation or privation so make sure you have one for each. It is really important that you make it clear that deprivation/ privation has taken place. For example, ‘separating from your mum’ is too vague for an example of deprivation but ‘a child does not see its mother for over 2 weeks when she goes into hospital’ is specific and detailed. For example, ‘fostering a child’ does not get across the idea of privation but ‘a child giving away at birth and then passed from foster home to foster home’ does.

THE BEHAVIOURIST THEORY OF ATTACHMENT

This theory supports the idea that infants and carers learn to form attachments with each other because they are rewarding for both sides. We all learn to attach to people through a process of reinforcement.

You do not have to be able to evaluate the alternative theory but you do need to be able to describe it in some detail. You could also use it to evaluate the core theory: Bowlby’s theory. For example, it explains how a child can learn to attach to many carers (as long as they are all reinforce the child) or how a child can learn to develop more attachments later in life (even if others have been broken).

HAZEN & SHAVER’S (1987) SURVEY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTACHMENT TYPES AND ADULT RELATIONSHIPS

Remember that you can be asked to just describe the procedure or just describe the findings of this (or any) study. Make sure you know the difference between what was done and then what was found out because you won’t get marks for the findings when the procedure has been asked for, and vice-versa.

LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

©  Unrepresentative sample = more women responded, only readers of that newspaper, people with bad relationships may not want to send off the love quiz.

©  Invalid findings = would people necessarily tell the truth about their intimate relationships?

©  Unreliable findings = would people have accurate memories of their childhood?

©  Lack of construct validity = relationships are complex but were only measured using closed questions.

It is quite common to get a question that asks you to describe two limitations of a study and then for 2 marks each – so make sure you have at least a couple of points that you can expand on and explain further. You may even get offered 3 marks for just one limitation so there needs to be one which you can explain really well.

APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH INTO ATTACHMENT: CARE OF CHILDREN

If you are asked for one application of research into attachment, or one way in which research is applied, or one example of how research is used in real-life then you can always start with ‘hospitals’ i.e. hospital care is one application, care in hospitals is one way, or hospitals are one example. Once you have introduced the idea of hospitals you can then go on to talk about the more specific things that are done in hospitals and they should not count as separate or different examples/ways.

EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS

1.  Outline two ways in which a psychologist could measure whether Joseph has attached or not. (4)

2. 

A Morning at Nursery

Four babies.react differently when their parents leave them at nursery.

§  Leo gets upset when his parents leave him but the staff can comfort him easily.

§  Violet hardly notices that her father has gone and carries on playing happily.

§  Yasmin lets her parents leave but then cries all day.

§  Henry is very clingy when his mother tries to leave and is then awkward with her when she tries to comfort him.

From the source:

(a)  Name the child who shows a secure attachment. (1)

(b)  Name the child who shows an insecure-avoidant attachment. (1)

(c)  Name the child who shows an insecure-ambivalent attachment. (1)

3.  Look at the following diagram.

Draw a line between two boxes to match the key concept to its definition. (2)

KEY CONCEPT DEFINITION

4.  (a) Give one effect of deprivation. (1)

(b) Give one effect of privation. (1)

5.  Describe and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment. (10)

6.  Outline what is meant by the term ‘reinforcement’ in relation to attachment. (2)

7.  Describe Hazen & Shaver’s (1987) study into attachment types. (4)

8.  Explain two limitations of Haven & Shaver’s study. (4)

9.  Outline one application of research into attachment. (4)

10.  Describe how research into attachment has influenced the care of children. (4)