Summary
AQA AS/A Level Psychology - Attachment Topic Summary
- Module
- Attachment
- Institution
- AQA
Entire summary of AQA AS/A Level Psychology attachment topic summary. All information sourced from AQA approved resources.
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ATTACHMENTCAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS
Attachment => An enduring, two-way emotional tie to a specific other person.
Caregiver-infant interactions:
Used to develop bond/attachment between child and caregiver.
Key interaction - non-verbal communication (e.g imitation, reciprocity, interactional synchrony)
Reciprocity => Caregiver and baby respond to each other's signals and each elicits a response from the other.
e.g baby smiles - caregiver responds by talking - baby responds back
Alert phases => babies signal (e.g eye contact) that they are ready for interaction
Feldman & Eidelman (2007) found mothers usually pick up on baby alertness 2/3 of the time
Varies due to skill + external factors (e.g stress) (Finegood et al. (2016))
Active involvement: both caregiver and infant can initiate reactions - both have an active role
Interactional synchrony => caregiver and baby reflect both the actions and emotions of the other in sync.
Meltzoff & Moore (1977) observed beginning of interactional synchrony in babies as young as 2 weeks
Adult did 1 of 3 expressions or gestures + noted baby response
Found significant association in babies mirroring adult expression + gestures
Synchrony important in attachment: Isabella et al. (1989) observed 30 mothers + babies - assessed synchrony + quality,
Found high levels of synchrony associated with better quality of attachment
CAREGIVER-INFANT INTERACTIONS - EVALUATION
Strengths Limitations
Filmed observations - can be analysed in depth after study Difficulty observing babies: unable to control own
other researchers may also observe and evaluate bodies
increase inter-rater reliability difficult to determine purpose of actions
Covert observation within a lab: babies unaware of study therefore difficult to know if there is special
reduce demand characteristics meaning
control of variables Observing behaviour does not tell us importance:
increases validity may just name observable patterns of behaviour
Has practical application in parenting training therefore don't know if behaviour is important in
Crotwell et al. (2013) found parent-child interaction therapy development
improved interactional synchrony in 20 LI mothers Socially sensitive:
Counterpoint: research says early interactions are important: Can cause ethical issues
Isabella et al. (1989) found good interactional synchrony led to e.g. using to say mothers working may harm babies
development of good attachment.
Therefore early interactions may be important for development
SCHAFFER'S STAGES OF ATTACHMENT
Stage 1 - Asocial stage:
First few weeks of life
Baby interactions mostly same to objects and humans - but shows preference for familiar humans
Stage 2 - Indiscriminate attachment:
2-7 months
Clear preference for humans and especially familiar humans
Accept comfort from anyone - do not show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety
Stage 3 - specific attachment:
~7 months
display signs of attachment to 1 person - separation anxiety (from attachment figure), stranger anxiety
baby formed specific attachment to primary attachment figure - person who has most interaction + response to baby
Stage 4 - multiple attachments:
After 1st attachment formed more attachments form to people baby spends time with
Schaffer & Emerson saw 29% babies made multiple attachments in a month of specific attachment (majority in 1 year)
Schaffer & Emerson (1964): observational study on formation of early infant-adult attachments.
Involved 60 glaswegian babies
Visited the babies every month for 1st year + at 18 months - assessed stranger + separation anxiety.
Findings resulted in identification of 4 stages of attachment.
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