2026 AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY
COMPREHENSIVE TEST BANK COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PRACTICE
SOLUTION VERIFIED
◉ What is an attachment? Answer: An emotional link between the
child and there primary caregiver, which ties them together.
◉ Four ways an attachment can be tested? Answer: 1. Seeking
Proximity
2. Distress on seperation
3. Joy on reunion
4. General Behaviour
◉ What is a bond? Answer: A bond is a set of feelings that ties one
person to another
◉ Benefits of an attachment Answer: Survival
Food
Love
Security
,◉ Two caregiver-infant interactions are... Answer: Reciprocity and
Interactional Synchrony
◉ What is reciprocity? Answer: Reciprocity is a description of how
two people interact, the mother infant interaction is reciprocal in that
they both respond to each others signal and each shows a response
from the other.
◉ What is interactional synchrony? Answer: Where mother and infant
reflect both the actions and emotions of one and other and do this in a
co-ordinated manner.
◉ Outline research that supports reciprocity Answer: Feldman found
that both babies have periodic alert phases to signal that they are
ready to interact and mothers respond to this on average 2/3rds of the
time.
He also found that from 3 months of age this interaction is more
frequent and involved close attention to verbal signals and facial
expressions.
Brazleton discovered the 'Dance' in which each partner responds to
each others moves. Both the baby and the PCG can initiate
interactions and take turns in doing so.
◉ Outline research that supports interactional synchrony Answer:
Meltzoff and Moore conducted a study in which they observed infants
at two weeks old and had adults show one of three facial expressions
or one of three gestures. The children response was filmed and
, identified by independent observers. They found an association
between the action of the adult and the action returned by the babies.
Isabella observed 30 mothers and infants and found that high levels of
synchrony were associated with better mother-infant attachment.
◉ Evaluate research into infant-caregiver interactions Answer: :) -
Controlled observations in a controlled experimental setting with
standardised procedures and operationalised behavioural categories
with filming from multiple angles. High reliability as can be repeated
to check consistency.
:) - These observations are less prone to demand characteristics as
obviously babies are unaware an experiment is taking place and thus
will not change their natural behaviours.
:( - Observations susceptible to observer bias as they require
subjective interpretation from researches who may perceive behaviour
as being something else to what it really is, this can lower the validity.
:( - Observations only look at the changes in hand movements and
gestures. It is very difficult to be certain that the moves or gestures
etc, were actually deliberate or accidental, this reduces the value of
the insight into caregiver-infant interaction.
:( - These studies don't tell us the purpose of synchrony or reciprocity,
they simply state that it happens and don't imply anything about why
and what the purpose is. Other studies have said that it is important in
the development of empathy and morals.
:( - Conducting research into mother-infant interactions is
controversial as it sates that certain people may be at a disadvantage
for certain reasons. ie. Mothers going back to work...
COMPREHENSIVE TEST BANK COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PRACTICE
SOLUTION VERIFIED
◉ What is an attachment? Answer: An emotional link between the
child and there primary caregiver, which ties them together.
◉ Four ways an attachment can be tested? Answer: 1. Seeking
Proximity
2. Distress on seperation
3. Joy on reunion
4. General Behaviour
◉ What is a bond? Answer: A bond is a set of feelings that ties one
person to another
◉ Benefits of an attachment Answer: Survival
Food
Love
Security
,◉ Two caregiver-infant interactions are... Answer: Reciprocity and
Interactional Synchrony
◉ What is reciprocity? Answer: Reciprocity is a description of how
two people interact, the mother infant interaction is reciprocal in that
they both respond to each others signal and each shows a response
from the other.
◉ What is interactional synchrony? Answer: Where mother and infant
reflect both the actions and emotions of one and other and do this in a
co-ordinated manner.
◉ Outline research that supports reciprocity Answer: Feldman found
that both babies have periodic alert phases to signal that they are
ready to interact and mothers respond to this on average 2/3rds of the
time.
He also found that from 3 months of age this interaction is more
frequent and involved close attention to verbal signals and facial
expressions.
Brazleton discovered the 'Dance' in which each partner responds to
each others moves. Both the baby and the PCG can initiate
interactions and take turns in doing so.
◉ Outline research that supports interactional synchrony Answer:
Meltzoff and Moore conducted a study in which they observed infants
at two weeks old and had adults show one of three facial expressions
or one of three gestures. The children response was filmed and
, identified by independent observers. They found an association
between the action of the adult and the action returned by the babies.
Isabella observed 30 mothers and infants and found that high levels of
synchrony were associated with better mother-infant attachment.
◉ Evaluate research into infant-caregiver interactions Answer: :) -
Controlled observations in a controlled experimental setting with
standardised procedures and operationalised behavioural categories
with filming from multiple angles. High reliability as can be repeated
to check consistency.
:) - These observations are less prone to demand characteristics as
obviously babies are unaware an experiment is taking place and thus
will not change their natural behaviours.
:( - Observations susceptible to observer bias as they require
subjective interpretation from researches who may perceive behaviour
as being something else to what it really is, this can lower the validity.
:( - Observations only look at the changes in hand movements and
gestures. It is very difficult to be certain that the moves or gestures
etc, were actually deliberate or accidental, this reduces the value of
the insight into caregiver-infant interaction.
:( - These studies don't tell us the purpose of synchrony or reciprocity,
they simply state that it happens and don't imply anything about why
and what the purpose is. Other studies have said that it is important in
the development of empathy and morals.
:( - Conducting research into mother-infant interactions is
controversial as it sates that certain people may be at a disadvantage
for certain reasons. ie. Mothers going back to work...
