Attachment Theory Studies Overview

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Questions and Answers

What was a significant finding from the Romanian orphan study regarding the timing of adoption?

  • Adopting between six months to two years was most beneficial.
  • All orphans showed equal social development regardless of adoption age.
  • Adopting after two years had the best outcomes.
  • Early adoption led to better psychological outcomes. (correct)

Which attachment type is associated with individuals who had positive adult romantic relationships in the Love Quiz study?

  • Avoidant attachment
  • Insecure attachment
  • Secure attachment (correct)
  • Disorganized attachment

In Schaffer and Emerson's study, what characterized the 'specific attachment' stage?

  • Infants form a primary attachment and exhibit separation anxiety. (correct)
  • Infants respond uniformly to all caregivers.
  • Infants show no preference for familiar faces.
  • Infants develop multiple attachments simultaneously.

What was one of the weaknesses of the Romanian orphan study mentioned in the evaluation?

<p>The findings cannot be generalized due to extreme conditions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What methodological approach did Hazan and Shaver use in their Love Quiz study?

<p>Self-report survey (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following stages in the attachment process was characterized by infants showing a preference for familiar people?

<p>Indiscriminate attachment (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did the 39% statistic in Schaffer and Emerson's study reveal about the nature of attachment?

<p>Attachment was primarily based on responsiveness rather than feeding. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which method did Schaffer and Emerson use to gather data in their attachment study?

<p>Longitudinal observation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Lorenz's study on imprinting reveal about critical periods?

<p>Imprinting occurs during a limited time shortly after birth. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant finding from Harlow's study on baby monkeys?

<p>Comfort was more important than food in attachment. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the attachment types identified by Ainsworth in the Strange Situation?

<p>Secure (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a major ethical concern in Harlow's study on attachment?

<p>The monkeys experienced severe distress. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What correlation was found in Bowlby's 44 Thieves Study?

<p>Criminal behavior was linked to prolonged separation from mothers. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of Ainsworth's Strange Situation?

<p>It does not consider cultural differences. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant contribution of Bowlby's research on attachment?

<p>Provided evidence for the maternal deprivation hypothesis. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Lorenz's findings on imprinting differ from Harlow's findings on attachment?

<p>Harlow's study involved the role of food, while Lorenz did not. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Imprinting

A type of learning where a young animal forms a strong attachment to the first moving object they see.

Critical Period

A critical period shortly after birth where imprinting is most likely to occur.

Harlow's Monkey Experiment

Harry Harlow's experiment where baby monkeys preferred a cloth mother providing comfort over a wire mother offering food.

Strange Situation

Mary Ainsworth's study where infants are exposed to separation and reunion with their caregivers to assess attachment styles.

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Secure Attachment (Type B)

A secure attachment style characterized by a child's confidence in their caregiver's availability and responsiveness.

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Insecure-Avoidant Attachment (Type A)

An insecure attachment style where a child avoids interaction with their caregiver and shows minimal distress upon separation.

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Insecure-Resistant Attachment (Type C)

An insecure attachment style where a child is clingy, distressed upon separation, and ambivalent towards their caregiver.

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Bowlby's 44 Thieves Study

John Bowlby's study investigating the link between maternal deprivation and delinquency in juvenile thieves.

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Disinhibited Attachment

A type of attachment characterized by indiscriminate friendliness and lack of anxiety towards strangers.

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Romanian Orphan Study Findings

The study of Romanian orphans showed that earlier adoption led to better outcomes. Those adopted after 6 months exhibited disinhibited attachment.

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Naturalistic Observation

A research approach that measures attachment by observing infants in their natural environment.

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Self-Report Survey

A research method where participants complete questionnaires to assess a particular variable, like attachment style.

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Specific Attachment (Schaffer and Emerson)

The stage where infants form an attachment to one specific caregiver, showing separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.

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Longitudinal Study

A study where participants are followed over time to observe changes in their attachment patterns.

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Asocial Stage (Schaffer and Emerson)

This stage involves infants responding similarly to objects and people, showing no preference for specific individuals.

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Multiple Attachments (Schaffer and Emerson)

This stage shows that infants form attachments to multiple caregivers and familiar people, expanding their social network.

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Study Notes

Attachment Theory Studies

  • Lorenz (1935): Imprinting

    • Divided a clutch of goose eggs into two groups: one hatched naturally with the mother, the other in an incubator.
    • Goslings followed the first moving object they saw—either the mother or Lorenz.
    • Imprinting occurs during a critical period after birth.
    • Limitations: Difficulty generalizing bird imprinting to human attachment.

  • Harlow (1958): Monkeys and Contact Comfort

    • Baby monkeys raised with two surrogate mothers: one wire (providing food), one cloth (no food).
    • Monkeys showed a strong preference for the cloth mother, particularly when frightened.
    • Comfort, not food, is crucial for attachment.
    • Limitations: Ethical concerns and limited generalizability to humans.

  • Ainsworth (1978): Strange Situation

    • A controlled observation of infant attachment.
    • Introduces and removes caregiver and stranger in episodes.
    • Identified three attachment types:
      • Secure (Type B): shows distress, comforted on return.
      • Insecure-Avoidant (Type A): avoids caregiver, no distress.
      • Insecure-Resistant (Type C): clingy, high distress on separation, resists comfort on return.
    • Limitations: Cultural biases in attachment behaviours.

  • Bowlby (1944): 44 Thieves Study

    • Compared 44 juvenile thieves to a control group.
    • Assessed "affectionless psychopathy" and maternal deprivation.
    • 14 thieves were identified as affectionless psychopaths.
    • 12 of them had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers.
    • Maternal deprivation linked to criminal behaviour.
    • Limitations: Correlational research cannot prove cause-and-effect and retrospective data can be biased.

  • Rutter et al. (1998): Romanian Orphan Study

    • Studied Romanian orphans adopted in the UK, comparing those adopted before 6 months, 6-24 months and after 2 years.
    • Earlier adoption associated with better outcomes.
    • Later adoption linked to disinhibited attachment (indiscriminate friendliness).
    • Limitations: Extreme conditions in the Romanian orphanages limit generalizability.

  • Hazan and Shaver (1987): Love Quiz

    • Self-report survey assessing adult attachment types and their relationships with early experiences.
    • Found correlations between childhood attachment types and adult romantic relationships.
    • Securely attached individuals had more positive relationships.
    • Limitations: Relies on self-report data, prone to bias.

  • Schaffer and Emerson (1964): Stages of Attachment

    • Longitudinal study of 60 working-class infants in Glasgow.
    • Monthly visits for the first year, and 18-month follow-up.
    • Identified four stages of attachment:
      1. Asocial (0-6 weeks): Infants prefer faces.
      2. Indiscriminate (6-7 months): Infants prefer familiar people but accept comfort from anyone.
      3. Specific (7-9 months): Infants form a primary attachment, showing stranger and separation anxiety.
      4. Multiple (10+ months): Infants form attachments to other caregivers.
    • Primary attachment frequently wasn't the feeder but the responsive caregiver.
    • Limitations: Small sample size, limited generalizability, and reliance on mother's reports.

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