Summary AQA A-level Psychology - 4.1.3 Attachment

4.1.3
ATTACHMENT

,Content
Content
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................4
CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS IN HUMANS ...............................................................4
Reciprocity ...........................................................................................................................................4
Interactional synchrony .......................................................................................................................4
Research into Interactional synchrony: Meltzoff and Moore .............................................................5
Research into Reciprocity: Tronick’s still face experiment ..................................................................5
Evaluation of research into caregiver-infant interactions ...................................................................6
STAGES OF ATTACHMENT (SCHAFFER) ..............................................................................7
Research: Schaffer and Emerson .........................................................................................................7
Stages of attachment ...........................................................................................................................8
Evaluation of research into the stages of attachment ........................................................................9
MULTIPLE ATTACHMENTS ...............................................................................................10
Bowlby (1950s) ..................................................................................................................................10
Schaffer ..............................................................................................................................................10
Silverstein and Ruiz ............................................................................................................................10
THE ROLE OF THE FATHER ...............................................................................................11
Fathers are less important than mothers ..........................................................................................11
Fathers are just as important as mothers, but they play a different role .........................................12
We don’t know because it is so difficult to research ........................................................................12
Practical application for the economy ...............................................................................................12
ANIMAL STUDIES OF ATTACHMENT ................................................................................13
Lorenz.................................................................................................................................................13
Harlow ................................................................................................................................................14
EXPLANATIONS OF ATTACHMENT ...................................................................................16
Learning theory ..................................................................................................................................16
Bowlby’s monotropic theory .............................................................................................................18
TYPES OF ATTACHMENT..................................................................................................21
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation ...........................................................................................................21
Types of attachment ..........................................................................................................................22
Evaluation of Ainsworth’s Findings and Conclusion ..........................................................................23
Evaluation of the Strange Situation as a research tool .....................................................................23

, Cultural variations into attachment ..................................................................................................24
BOWLBY’S THEORY OF MATERNAL DEPRIVATION AND THE EFFECTS OF
INSTITUTIONALISATION ..................................................................................................26
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation ..........................................................................................26
The effects of institutionalisation ......................................................................................................28
THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY ATTACHMENT ON LATER RELATIONSHIPS ...............................31
Childhood relationships .....................................................................................................................31
Adulthood relationships ....................................................................................................................32
Evaluation of the influence of early attachment on later relationships, including the role of an
internal working model .....................................................................................................................33

, INTRODUCTION
Definition of an attachment:

• An attachment is a strong, long-lasting emotional tie or bond between two people, usually
mother/caregiver and infant.

• It is characterised by behaviours such as:
o proximity seeking,
o separation distress and
o pleasure on reunion.




CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS IN HUMANS
Specification: Caregiver-infant interactions in humans: reciprocity and interactional synchrony.

2 behaviours thought to encourage the formation of attachment: reciprocity and interactional
synchrony.

Reciprocity
Reciprocal means 2 ways.

Reciprocity describes the turn-taking behaviour that occurs in a
conversation between caregiver and infant. The behaviour of one person
receives a response from the other person, even though the response may
not necessarily be the same.

E.g. when a mother coos at a baby, the baby gurgles back.

This is thought to be important in the development of later communication skills. The regularity of
the response allows the caregiver to anticipate the infant’s behaviour and respond appropriately and
sensitively.

Interactional synchrony
Interactional synchrony describes the co-ordinated behaviour that
occurs between an infant and their mother/caregiver.

Mothers and babies often mirror each other’s behaviour and emotions.
For example, when a mother smiles at an infant they smile back.

It is broader than reciprocity and focuses on both behaviour and
emotions. The infant and mother are in tune each other.