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AQA A level Psychology Essay Plans: Attachment
Every 16 marker in attachment, with AO1 knowledge, and AO3 evaluation points.
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Describe and evaluate research into infant-caregiver interactions (16 marks)AO1 AO3
Attachment Issues with conducting observations on infants
- Shaffer identifies it as - An emotionally meaningful There is an issue of intentionality. Infant mouths are
tie to a particular individual constantly moving which makes it difficult to distinguish
- An example of attachment between an infant and whether behaviour is intentional or unconscious, and
caregiver – key interaction is non-verbal therefore decreases internal validity.
communication which forms the basis of their
attachment and allows them to deepen their Potential ethical issues
relationship as they become more sensitive to their The research is socially sensitive because it suggests that
signals children may be disadvantaged by particular child rearing
- Non-verbal communication is important in the practices. For example, mothers who return to work shortly
formation of attachment because it allows the after a child is born restricts the opportunity for carrying out
caregiver to anticipate the infant’s behaviour and interactional synchrony. Attachment researchers should be
respond appropriately. The sensitivity of the infant’s cautious about their conclusions and findings due to the
behaviour lays down the foundation of attachment. face that they should be careful not to imply that people
Reciprocity should make particular lifestyle choices.
- When you respond to the action of another person
and where the actions of one partner elicit a Findings from interactional synchrony may lack reliability
response from the other partner. Koepke et al failed to replicate the findings of Meltzoff and
- This allows the caregiver to predict the infant's Moore, and they counterargued that the research was less
behaviour and allows them to respond accordingly controlled. This shows that findings from interactional
which forms the basis for an infant caregiver synchrony research may lack reliability.
attachment
- Murray and Tervarthen (1985) conducted a study There are individual differences between infants
with two-month-old infants. Infants first interacted Isabella et al (1989) found that more strongly attached
via video monitor with the mothers in real time, and infant- caregiver pairs showed grater interactional
were then showed a pre-recorded video of the synchrony. Heiman (1989) showed that infants who
mother so the image on the screen wasn’t demonstrate a lot of imitation from birth onwards have a
responding to the infants' gestures. Researchers better quality of relationship at three months. Suggests that
found that infant became really distressed when not all children engage in interactional synchrony and
they tried to attract attention and didn’t get a Meltzoff and Moore’s original findings may have overlooked
response. This shows that infants actively want to individual differences which could be a mediating factor.
interact with their mother.
Interactional Synchrony Possibility of observer bias
- When two people interact and mirror what the Researchers consciously or unconsciously interpret
other is doing in terms of facial and body behaviour to support their findings. To address this
movements problem, more than one observer should be used to
- Meltzoff and Moor (1977) demonstrated examine the reliability of the observations.
interactional synchrony in infants in a study where
an adult model exhibited 3 facial Explains how children are able to conduct relationships
expressions/movements with their fingers. A Meltzoff developed a ‘like me’ hypothesis and proposes that
dummy was placed in the child’s mouth to precent there is a connection between what the infant sees and
an initial response. After, the dummy was removed their limitation of this. They develop “theory of mind” which
and infant’s expressions were filmed and the results is fundamental for conducting social relationships as they
showed an association between the infants can acquire an understanding of what other people are
behaviour and the model. This supports the idea of thinking/feeling.
interactional synchrony.
, Describe and evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment
AO1 AO3
- Shaffer and Emerson visited the homes of 60 babies Good external validity
(31 male and 29 female) from Glasgow working Schaffer and Emerson carried out this study in the children’s
class families. They visited their homes every month homes, so the babies’ behaviour is not likely to be affected
for a year and then again at 18 months and asked by the presence of observer’s high level of mundane
the mothers questions about the babies’ realism.
stranger/separation anxiety. They asked questions
about the babies’ behaviour shown in everyday There are problems studying asocial stage
situations eg. An adult leaving a room (which This is because during the first few weeks of life, babies
measures separation anxiety.) They proposed have poor co-ordination and are immobile. Therefore, it is
attachments develop in 4 stages. difficult to make any judgments about them based on their
Stage 1 – asocial stage first observations of behaviour, causing Schaffer and
- 0-6 weeks Emerson’s research to lack reliability.
- Where the baby is forming similar responses and
bonds to all objects- inanimate and animate. Doesn’t take cultural variations into account
- Towards the end infants show greater preferences Individualist cultures like UK and US only focus on
for smiling faces individual/immediate family needs, but in collectivist
- Reciprocity and interactional synchrony are playing cultures, needs are focused for the group, so it would be
a role in establishing the infants’ relationships with normal for multiple attachments to be more common, and
others. formed earlier than what Schaffer states. Sagi et al
Stage 2 – pre-social stage (indiscriminate stage) compared infants raised in communal environments (Israeli
- 2-7 months kibbutzim) with infants raised in family-based sleeping
- Babies display more observable and have arrangements and found that closeness of attachment with
preference for people over objects mother in family based environment was 2x stronger.
- Recognise and prefer familiar adults Suggests it only applies to individualist cultures.
- Don’t show stranger/separation anxiety and they
accept comfort from any adults Biased sample
Stage 3 – Specific attachment stage Sample is biased because it is from a working-class
- 7 months population so the findings can only apply to that social
- Majority of babies display stranger anxiety and group and not others. Also, research was conducted in the
separation anxiety from one particular adult 1960’s which makes the findings invalid as it isn’t applicable
(primary attachment figure. to today’s modern approach to parenting (fathers may be
Stage 4 – Multiple attachment stage staying at home instead of mothers)
- 9+ months
- Shortly after, babies start to show attachment to Data may be unreliable
multiple other adults who they regularly spend time Because it was based off the mothers’ reports of infants.
with. Schaffer and Emmerson found 29% of children Some mothers may have been less sensitive to their infants’
had secondary attachment within a month of responses and therefore may have been less likely to report
forming primary attachment them, or may end up seeking social approval.
- Fear of strangers decrease
Has good external validity
This is because the study was carried out in the infant’s own
family homes, so the behaviour of the babies are likely to be
unaffected by the presence of observers.
Role of the father
Schaffer and Emerson didn’t take into consideration of the
father and never asked any questions about it. Research
suggests that they are not likely to be a primary attachment
figure because they are biologically unable to do so as they
are less sensitive to infants behaviours and lack oestrogen.
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