AQA Psychology
Objective assessment
Final prep exam
Questions and correct
Detailed exam
<<upgraded syllabus>>
A+ graded ** newest version
what is Reciprocity ? - ANSWER ✅how 2 people interact
both infant and mother respond to each others signals and elicit a response
mothers usually pick up on and respond to the infants 2/3 of the time ( Feldman
and Eildman 2007)
Brazleton et al describes the interaction as a couples dance as each partner
responds to each others moves
what is Interactional Synchrony and who are the researches behind it ? -
ANSWER ✅mother and infant reflect both actions and emotions of the other in a
coordinated way. Meltzoff and Moore observed interactional synchrony in children
as young as 2 weeks old. An adult displayed one of 3 facial expressions or
gestures. the child's response was filmed and identified by independent observers .
there was a link between adults gesture and babies actions.
Isabelle et al observed 30 mothers and assessed their level of synchrony. high
levels of synchrony meant better quality of mother infant attachment
what are the advantages and disadvantages of caregiver-infant interactions? -
ANSWER ✅- subjective as babies expression may have no meaning
- observations don't tell us why there is reciprocity and interational synchrony
- it is socially sensitive as Isabelle et al's study shows that mothers should not go to
work
+ controlled observations
, Parent- infant attachment - ANSWER ✅traditionally the mother
Schaffer and Emerson found what babied become attached to their mother first
around 7 moths then secondary attachment a few weeks later. in 75% of the studies
an attachment was made with the father by 18 months ( determined by baby
showing separation anxiety from father)
Role of the father - ANSWER ✅Grossman carried out longitude study looking at
both parents behaviour and attachment with child until their teens. The attachment
with the mother was related to the child's attachment during adolescent suggesting
the father is less important . however, the quality of the fathers play with the child
was related to their quality of attachment suggesting the fathers role is more to do
with play and stimulation rather than nurture.
Father as primary care giver - ANSWER ✅evidence shows that fathers can adapt
to the role of primary care giver if mother not present. Field filmed 4 moth old
baby interact with primary mother, primary father , and secondary father. Primary
fathers and mothers spent more time smiling , imitating and holding than the
secondary father. therefore gender does not affect attachment.
advantages and disadvantages of attachment figures - ANSWER ✅- inconsistent
findings as different researchers are interested in finding different things e.g.
primary and secondary attachment. no studies actually tell us what the role of the
father is.
-socially sensitive as suggests child might be at a disadvantage if mother goes back
to work
- children with fathers growing up are no difference showing similar role
+ biological explanation, woman have more oestrogen making them more
nurturing
Schaffer and Emerson's Study - ANSWER ✅investigated the aims of early
attachment at the age which they develop emotional intensity and to whom they
direct it at
60 babies (1 male and 29 female) from Glasgow working class families . they were
visited to their homes every month for for the first year and again at 18 months.
mothers asked if babies show any protest and tested separation and stranger
anxiety.
they found that between 25 and 32 months 50% of babies showed signs of
separation anxiety . they showed reciprocity. BY age 40 weeks 80% of babies had
specific attachment and 30% showed multiple attachment
, Schaffer and Emerson evaluation - ANSWER ✅+good external validity as carried
out in the homes
+longitudinal so good internal validity as children followed up so no confounding
variables as same children used
- can't be generalised
- doesn't necessarily measure attachment as stranger and separation anxiety are
only two components that make up attachment
Stage 1 of attachment - ANSWER ✅asocial stage
birth to 2 months
recognising and forming bonds with carer but behaviours towards human and non-
human objects are similar.
baby shows preference to familiar people and can calm down quickly with them
baby happier in the presence of humans
Stage 2 of attachment - ANSWER ✅indiscriminate stage
2-7 months
child shows preference to humans rather than inanimate objects. they recognise
and prefer similar objects
they accept comfort from any adult
do not show stranger of separation anxiety
Stage 3 of attachment - ANSWER ✅specific attachment
around 7 months
infant starts to show stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. the child has formed a
specific attachment with the primary caregiver
Stage 4 of attachment - ANSWER ✅multiple attachments
a month after forming specific attachments
child forms secondary attachment
evaluation of sages of development - ANSWER ✅- problems with asocial stage
as baby has no coordination and is immobile so judgements on behaviour can not
be made when this young
- problems with multiple attachments as not clear when baby forms second
attachment as different in collectivist cultures
- the stage theory suggests that development of attachment is not flexible
, +application as gives a mothers point of view of their child's progress in
attachment
Lorenz's Research - ANSWER ✅Lorenz randomly divided goose eggs. Half of
them hatched in a natural environment with their mother. The others hatched in an
incubator and the first moving thing they saw was Lorenz.
Incubator group followed Lorenz and the control group followed the mother duck.
This was imprinting whereby bird species that are mobile from birth attach to and
follow the first moving object they see. Lorenz identified a critical period in which
imprinting needs to take place this can be as brief as a few hours after hatching. if
they did not form an attachment in this time Lorenz found that the chicks did not
attach themselves to a mother figure
Evaluation of Lorenz's research - ANSWER ✅- research may not generalise to
other animals let alone humans
- observations can be questioned. E.g. the idea that imprinting has a permanent
effect on mating behaviour. Guiton et al found that some chickens imprinted on
yellow washing up gloves would try and mate with them as well as adults. But
with experience they learnt they preferred to mate with other chickens. This
suggests that the impact of imprinting on mating behaviour is not permanent as
Lorenz believed.
sexual imprinting - ANSWER ✅Lorenz investigate the relationship between
imprinting and adult mate preference. He observed that birds that imprinted on
humans will later show courtship behaviour towards the humans. E.g. in a case
study Lorenz described a peacock that had been reared in a retile house at a zoo.
The first thing the peacock saw when born as a giant tortoise. As an adult the
peacock showed courtship behaviour toward the giant tortoise therefore had
undergone sexual imprinting.
Harlow's Research evaluation - ANSWER ✅-highly unethical
+ real life application for social workers as they understand the effects of neglect
and abuse
+can generalise better to humans that Lorenz's study of goose
Harlow's research - ANSWER ✅Harlow tested the idea that soft object serves
some of the functions of a mother. In one experiment he reared 16 baby monkeys
with two wire model mothers. In one condition milk was dispensed from the plain
Objective assessment
Final prep exam
Questions and correct
Detailed exam
<<upgraded syllabus>>
A+ graded ** newest version
what is Reciprocity ? - ANSWER ✅how 2 people interact
both infant and mother respond to each others signals and elicit a response
mothers usually pick up on and respond to the infants 2/3 of the time ( Feldman
and Eildman 2007)
Brazleton et al describes the interaction as a couples dance as each partner
responds to each others moves
what is Interactional Synchrony and who are the researches behind it ? -
ANSWER ✅mother and infant reflect both actions and emotions of the other in a
coordinated way. Meltzoff and Moore observed interactional synchrony in children
as young as 2 weeks old. An adult displayed one of 3 facial expressions or
gestures. the child's response was filmed and identified by independent observers .
there was a link between adults gesture and babies actions.
Isabelle et al observed 30 mothers and assessed their level of synchrony. high
levels of synchrony meant better quality of mother infant attachment
what are the advantages and disadvantages of caregiver-infant interactions? -
ANSWER ✅- subjective as babies expression may have no meaning
- observations don't tell us why there is reciprocity and interational synchrony
- it is socially sensitive as Isabelle et al's study shows that mothers should not go to
work
+ controlled observations
, Parent- infant attachment - ANSWER ✅traditionally the mother
Schaffer and Emerson found what babied become attached to their mother first
around 7 moths then secondary attachment a few weeks later. in 75% of the studies
an attachment was made with the father by 18 months ( determined by baby
showing separation anxiety from father)
Role of the father - ANSWER ✅Grossman carried out longitude study looking at
both parents behaviour and attachment with child until their teens. The attachment
with the mother was related to the child's attachment during adolescent suggesting
the father is less important . however, the quality of the fathers play with the child
was related to their quality of attachment suggesting the fathers role is more to do
with play and stimulation rather than nurture.
Father as primary care giver - ANSWER ✅evidence shows that fathers can adapt
to the role of primary care giver if mother not present. Field filmed 4 moth old
baby interact with primary mother, primary father , and secondary father. Primary
fathers and mothers spent more time smiling , imitating and holding than the
secondary father. therefore gender does not affect attachment.
advantages and disadvantages of attachment figures - ANSWER ✅- inconsistent
findings as different researchers are interested in finding different things e.g.
primary and secondary attachment. no studies actually tell us what the role of the
father is.
-socially sensitive as suggests child might be at a disadvantage if mother goes back
to work
- children with fathers growing up are no difference showing similar role
+ biological explanation, woman have more oestrogen making them more
nurturing
Schaffer and Emerson's Study - ANSWER ✅investigated the aims of early
attachment at the age which they develop emotional intensity and to whom they
direct it at
60 babies (1 male and 29 female) from Glasgow working class families . they were
visited to their homes every month for for the first year and again at 18 months.
mothers asked if babies show any protest and tested separation and stranger
anxiety.
they found that between 25 and 32 months 50% of babies showed signs of
separation anxiety . they showed reciprocity. BY age 40 weeks 80% of babies had
specific attachment and 30% showed multiple attachment
, Schaffer and Emerson evaluation - ANSWER ✅+good external validity as carried
out in the homes
+longitudinal so good internal validity as children followed up so no confounding
variables as same children used
- can't be generalised
- doesn't necessarily measure attachment as stranger and separation anxiety are
only two components that make up attachment
Stage 1 of attachment - ANSWER ✅asocial stage
birth to 2 months
recognising and forming bonds with carer but behaviours towards human and non-
human objects are similar.
baby shows preference to familiar people and can calm down quickly with them
baby happier in the presence of humans
Stage 2 of attachment - ANSWER ✅indiscriminate stage
2-7 months
child shows preference to humans rather than inanimate objects. they recognise
and prefer similar objects
they accept comfort from any adult
do not show stranger of separation anxiety
Stage 3 of attachment - ANSWER ✅specific attachment
around 7 months
infant starts to show stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. the child has formed a
specific attachment with the primary caregiver
Stage 4 of attachment - ANSWER ✅multiple attachments
a month after forming specific attachments
child forms secondary attachment
evaluation of sages of development - ANSWER ✅- problems with asocial stage
as baby has no coordination and is immobile so judgements on behaviour can not
be made when this young
- problems with multiple attachments as not clear when baby forms second
attachment as different in collectivist cultures
- the stage theory suggests that development of attachment is not flexible
, +application as gives a mothers point of view of their child's progress in
attachment
Lorenz's Research - ANSWER ✅Lorenz randomly divided goose eggs. Half of
them hatched in a natural environment with their mother. The others hatched in an
incubator and the first moving thing they saw was Lorenz.
Incubator group followed Lorenz and the control group followed the mother duck.
This was imprinting whereby bird species that are mobile from birth attach to and
follow the first moving object they see. Lorenz identified a critical period in which
imprinting needs to take place this can be as brief as a few hours after hatching. if
they did not form an attachment in this time Lorenz found that the chicks did not
attach themselves to a mother figure
Evaluation of Lorenz's research - ANSWER ✅- research may not generalise to
other animals let alone humans
- observations can be questioned. E.g. the idea that imprinting has a permanent
effect on mating behaviour. Guiton et al found that some chickens imprinted on
yellow washing up gloves would try and mate with them as well as adults. But
with experience they learnt they preferred to mate with other chickens. This
suggests that the impact of imprinting on mating behaviour is not permanent as
Lorenz believed.
sexual imprinting - ANSWER ✅Lorenz investigate the relationship between
imprinting and adult mate preference. He observed that birds that imprinted on
humans will later show courtship behaviour towards the humans. E.g. in a case
study Lorenz described a peacock that had been reared in a retile house at a zoo.
The first thing the peacock saw when born as a giant tortoise. As an adult the
peacock showed courtship behaviour toward the giant tortoise therefore had
undergone sexual imprinting.
Harlow's Research evaluation - ANSWER ✅-highly unethical
+ real life application for social workers as they understand the effects of neglect
and abuse
+can generalise better to humans that Lorenz's study of goose
Harlow's research - ANSWER ✅Harlow tested the idea that soft object serves
some of the functions of a mother. In one experiment he reared 16 baby monkeys
with two wire model mothers. In one condition milk was dispensed from the plain
