AQA PSYCHOLOGY ATTACHMENT EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
LATEST UPDATE
what is Reciprocity ?
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 ?
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?
- 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
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
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
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
- 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
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
+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
asocial stage
birth to 2 months
recognising and forming bonds with carer but behaviours towards human and non-human objects are
AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
LATEST UPDATE
what is Reciprocity ?
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 ?
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?
- 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
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
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
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
- 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
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
+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
asocial stage
birth to 2 months
recognising and forming bonds with carer but behaviours towards human and non-human objects are
