These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for personal use only. Any reproduction,
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
Detailed 16 marker plans for Attachment (Paper 1)
Discuss research into caregiver-infant interactions in humans (16)
AO1
S- In attachment, caregiver-infant interactions are indicative of the close emotional bond an
attachment figure has with an infant.
om
E- These are key interactions and ways of communication between a caregiver and a child.
AO1
S- One important aspect of caregiver-infant interactions in humans is reciprocity
E- This refers to the process in which a behaviour is matched during an interaction e.g. smiling
l.c
back when someone smiles at us. Reciprocity develops, in its simplest form, at a very early age,
of about 3 months as shown by Feldman 2007.
ai
AO1
S- A second important aspect of these interactions is interactional synchrony.
gm
E- Interactional synchrony refers to how a parent’s speech and infant’s behaviour become finely
synchronised so that they are in direct response to one another. Feldman suggests that
interactional synchrony serves a critical role in developmental outcomes in terms of
self-regulation, symbol use, and the capacity for empathy.
@
AO3
P- A strength of reciprocity is supporting evidence.
72
E- For instance, Meltzoff & Moore (1997) conducted a controlled observational study of infants
which found that babies as young as 12-27 days would attempt to imitate facial and physical
gestures.
ct
E- This means that there is a strong, immediate association between a mother and child’s
reciprocal of actions and behaviours
so
L- Therefore, there is high validity for the study, strengthening the aspect of reciprocity
AO3
tu
P- Moreover, a strength of interactional synchrony is supporting evidence.
E- This is seen in Isabella et al’s work which observed 30 mothers and infants together and
assessed the degree of synchrony then quality of the mother-infant attachment.
lo
E- It was concluded that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality
mother-infant attachment, showing the importance of interactional synchrony as a
caregiver-infant interaction
L- Thus, the theory is strengthened, providing validity for its significance.
AO3
P- A strength of caregiver infant interaction studies is that they were done in conditions with high
control and good replicability
,
These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for personal use only. Any reproduction,
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
E- For instance, many of these studies were done in labs, and were filmed from many angles. In
addition, the laboratory environment would not have affected ecological validity as babies do not
know they are being observed
E- Lab settings firstly eliminate most chances of confounding variables, and the filming would
allow many different researchers to watch the recordings and further analyse behaviour they
may have missed, increasing validity. Lastly, the babies being unaware they are being observed
means they will not display demand characteristics, improving validity.
L- Therefore, this strengthens evidence supporting caregiver-infant interactions, allowing them
om
to have credibility and overall high validity.
AO3
P- Lastly, a weakness of research into caregiver-infant interactions is that it is socially sensitive
l.c
E- For instance, it could imply that mothers who return to work shortly after having a child
restrict their opportunities to form attachments
ai
E- This is a weakness as it could cause distress if mothers in research studies feel that they are
not forming expected and sufficient attachments, which would constitute as psychological harm
and thus makes some studies into caregiver-infant interactions unethical.
gm
L- Therefore, studies into caregiver-infant interactions have less validity.
Describe and Evaluate research into the role of the father in attachment (16)
AO1
@
P- The role of the father is in attachment is evidenced in research such as Schaffer and
Emerson 1964
E- For instance, research found that while infants first attach to their mothers, but by 18 months
72
of age, they tend to form a second attachment to fathers.
L- Therefore, it is shown that the father is able to form a strong emotional bond with their infant,
ct
it just occurs secondary to the mother’s in most instances.
AO1
so
P- Another piece of evidence for the father’s role in attachment assigns a distinctive role to their
attachment
tu
E- This is seen in Grossman et al 2002, which concluded that while fathers have a less
important role in attachment, they have a distinctive role: fathers’ attachment has more to do
with play and stimulation than nurturing and emotional development.
lo
E- This means the role of the father is firstly less important, but also a different form of
attachment than mothers.
L- Thus, it can be concluded that infants form different close emotional bonds with each parent,
but do so through different interactions and bonds
AO3
P- A weakness of Grossman’s work is opposing evidence.
,
These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for personal use only. Any reproduction,
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
E- The main point drawn from that study was that fathers have a distinctive role in attachment,
separate from the mothers’; This is opposed by Field 1978
E- Field found that fathers do have the potential to become primary attachments to infants, and
when they do, they display more nurturing and caring behaviours usually associated with the
mother’s role in emotional development. This shows that the key to attachments has less to do
with gender and more to do with level of responsiveness.
L- Thus, Grosman’s conclusion that fathers’ roles in attachment are entirely distinctive, and
fathers do not form nurturing attachments is weakened, lowering the study’s validity.
om
AO3
P- However, a strength of Grossman’s conclusion is that it could have real life benefits.
E- For instance, this research could be an important tool used in offering new parents
l.c
reassuring advice.
E- This is because it shows parents that an important attachment will occur with their infant
ai
regardless of which parent has decided to take the primary caregiver role, and that this will have
no effect on a child’s development.
L- Therefore, this strengthens research into the roles of fathers as it is shown to have genuine
gm
benefits and importance in society.
AO3
P- Moreover, a strength of Schaffer and Emerson’s theory about the role of fathers is supporting
@
evidence.
E- Biological differences between mothers and fathers can be used as an explanation for why
fathers usually form secondary attachments as opposed to mothers forming primary
72
attachments.
E- This explanation states that fathers are unable to produce the hormones (eg oestrogen and
ct
oxytocin) to make them sufficiently nurturing to form attachments, and are also, in mammals,
less associated with the providing of food, thus leaving them to form secondary attachments as
mothers take the primary caregiver role.
so
L- Therefore, the conclusion that mothers form more important attachments, but fathers do form
attachments later on, is strengthened, providing validity.
tu
AO3
P- Lastly, a weakness of Schaffer and Emerson’s theory is opposing evidence seen, again, in
lo
Field 1989.
E- Field’s study found that fathers can form primary attachments to infants and take on the
nurturing role of the mother
E- This shows that fathers’ attachment to their infants has the potential of becoming a more
important attachment, thus disproving that fathers form a less important attachment.
L- Therefore, this theory loses validity and credibility.
Describe and Evaluate Schaffer's Stages of Attachment (16)
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
Detailed 16 marker plans for Attachment (Paper 1)
Discuss research into caregiver-infant interactions in humans (16)
AO1
S- In attachment, caregiver-infant interactions are indicative of the close emotional bond an
attachment figure has with an infant.
om
E- These are key interactions and ways of communication between a caregiver and a child.
AO1
S- One important aspect of caregiver-infant interactions in humans is reciprocity
E- This refers to the process in which a behaviour is matched during an interaction e.g. smiling
l.c
back when someone smiles at us. Reciprocity develops, in its simplest form, at a very early age,
of about 3 months as shown by Feldman 2007.
ai
AO1
S- A second important aspect of these interactions is interactional synchrony.
gm
E- Interactional synchrony refers to how a parent’s speech and infant’s behaviour become finely
synchronised so that they are in direct response to one another. Feldman suggests that
interactional synchrony serves a critical role in developmental outcomes in terms of
self-regulation, symbol use, and the capacity for empathy.
@
AO3
P- A strength of reciprocity is supporting evidence.
72
E- For instance, Meltzoff & Moore (1997) conducted a controlled observational study of infants
which found that babies as young as 12-27 days would attempt to imitate facial and physical
gestures.
ct
E- This means that there is a strong, immediate association between a mother and child’s
reciprocal of actions and behaviours
so
L- Therefore, there is high validity for the study, strengthening the aspect of reciprocity
AO3
tu
P- Moreover, a strength of interactional synchrony is supporting evidence.
E- This is seen in Isabella et al’s work which observed 30 mothers and infants together and
assessed the degree of synchrony then quality of the mother-infant attachment.
lo
E- It was concluded that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality
mother-infant attachment, showing the importance of interactional synchrony as a
caregiver-infant interaction
L- Thus, the theory is strengthened, providing validity for its significance.
AO3
P- A strength of caregiver infant interaction studies is that they were done in conditions with high
control and good replicability
,
These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for personal use only. Any reproduction,
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
E- For instance, many of these studies were done in labs, and were filmed from many angles. In
addition, the laboratory environment would not have affected ecological validity as babies do not
know they are being observed
E- Lab settings firstly eliminate most chances of confounding variables, and the filming would
allow many different researchers to watch the recordings and further analyse behaviour they
may have missed, increasing validity. Lastly, the babies being unaware they are being observed
means they will not display demand characteristics, improving validity.
L- Therefore, this strengthens evidence supporting caregiver-infant interactions, allowing them
om
to have credibility and overall high validity.
AO3
P- Lastly, a weakness of research into caregiver-infant interactions is that it is socially sensitive
l.c
E- For instance, it could imply that mothers who return to work shortly after having a child
restrict their opportunities to form attachments
ai
E- This is a weakness as it could cause distress if mothers in research studies feel that they are
not forming expected and sufficient attachments, which would constitute as psychological harm
and thus makes some studies into caregiver-infant interactions unethical.
gm
L- Therefore, studies into caregiver-infant interactions have less validity.
Describe and Evaluate research into the role of the father in attachment (16)
AO1
@
P- The role of the father is in attachment is evidenced in research such as Schaffer and
Emerson 1964
E- For instance, research found that while infants first attach to their mothers, but by 18 months
72
of age, they tend to form a second attachment to fathers.
L- Therefore, it is shown that the father is able to form a strong emotional bond with their infant,
ct
it just occurs secondary to the mother’s in most instances.
AO1
so
P- Another piece of evidence for the father’s role in attachment assigns a distinctive role to their
attachment
tu
E- This is seen in Grossman et al 2002, which concluded that while fathers have a less
important role in attachment, they have a distinctive role: fathers’ attachment has more to do
with play and stimulation than nurturing and emotional development.
lo
E- This means the role of the father is firstly less important, but also a different form of
attachment than mothers.
L- Thus, it can be concluded that infants form different close emotional bonds with each parent,
but do so through different interactions and bonds
AO3
P- A weakness of Grossman’s work is opposing evidence.
,
These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for personal use only. Any reproduction,
distribution, or sharing without explicit written permission is strictly prohibited.
E- The main point drawn from that study was that fathers have a distinctive role in attachment,
separate from the mothers’; This is opposed by Field 1978
E- Field found that fathers do have the potential to become primary attachments to infants, and
when they do, they display more nurturing and caring behaviours usually associated with the
mother’s role in emotional development. This shows that the key to attachments has less to do
with gender and more to do with level of responsiveness.
L- Thus, Grosman’s conclusion that fathers’ roles in attachment are entirely distinctive, and
fathers do not form nurturing attachments is weakened, lowering the study’s validity.
om
AO3
P- However, a strength of Grossman’s conclusion is that it could have real life benefits.
E- For instance, this research could be an important tool used in offering new parents
l.c
reassuring advice.
E- This is because it shows parents that an important attachment will occur with their infant
ai
regardless of which parent has decided to take the primary caregiver role, and that this will have
no effect on a child’s development.
L- Therefore, this strengthens research into the roles of fathers as it is shown to have genuine
gm
benefits and importance in society.
AO3
P- Moreover, a strength of Schaffer and Emerson’s theory about the role of fathers is supporting
@
evidence.
E- Biological differences between mothers and fathers can be used as an explanation for why
fathers usually form secondary attachments as opposed to mothers forming primary
72
attachments.
E- This explanation states that fathers are unable to produce the hormones (eg oestrogen and
ct
oxytocin) to make them sufficiently nurturing to form attachments, and are also, in mammals,
less associated with the providing of food, thus leaving them to form secondary attachments as
mothers take the primary caregiver role.
so
L- Therefore, the conclusion that mothers form more important attachments, but fathers do form
attachments later on, is strengthened, providing validity.
tu
AO3
P- Lastly, a weakness of Schaffer and Emerson’s theory is opposing evidence seen, again, in
lo
Field 1989.
E- Field’s study found that fathers can form primary attachments to infants and take on the
nurturing role of the mother
E- This shows that fathers’ attachment to their infants has the potential of becoming a more
important attachment, thus disproving that fathers form a less important attachment.
L- Therefore, this theory loses validity and credibility.
Describe and Evaluate Schaffer's Stages of Attachment (16)
