1.

Describe and evaluate research into caregiver-infant interactions (12 marks)

OUTLINE:
Reciprocity -
Feldman and Eidelman (2007)
Babies have periodic ‘alert phases’
Signal → ready to interact
Picked up on by mothers ⅔ of the time
Brazleton et al (1975)
‘Dance’
EVALUATION:
Socially Sensitive research

2. Describe and evaluate research into the role of the father in attachment (12 marks)
OUTLINE:
Grossman (2002):
Longitudinal study → quality of father’s rough and tumble play relates to quality of
adolescent attachments.
Role of father = more play + stimulation.
Less about nurturing
Schaffer and Emerson (1964):
Initial attachment to mother (7 months).
secondary attachment to father (75% by 18 months).
Attachment shown by separation anxiety

EVALUATION:
Contradictory evidence

3. Describe and evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment (12 marks)

OUTLINE:
Stage 1: Asocial (0-4 weeks)
Behaviour toward non/human is similar
Preference to adults
Happier w/ other humans
Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months)
Preference to human objects.
Recognise and prefer familiar adults.
Accept affection from any adult.
No separation anxiety
Stage 3: Specific attachment
7 months → display stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety to 1 adult (65% bio-mother)
Primary Attachment Figure → offers most reciprocity
Stage 4: Multiple attachments
Secondary attachment forms w/ adults (regularly spend time with)
29% have multiple attachments within a month of 1st. By 1, most infants have multiple
More attachments = socially, emotionally, cognitively (intelligence) superior
EVALUATION:
Social desirability → self-report technique used
E.g. mothers may say babies prefer them
Inclined to lie → sensitive nature (their parenthood)
Validity reduced

4. Describe and evaluate Animal Studies of attachment (12 marks)

OUTLINE:
Lorenz
Divided up a clutch of goose eggs
Half hatched → w/ mother
Half in an incubator → Lorenz 1st thing they see
Incubator group followed L everywhere
Control group stayed w/ mother
When mixed, goslings stayed w/ their group
Called imprinting

EVALUATION:
Animal bias
Humans and birds are qualitatively dif.
Animal (bird) attachment → instinctive
Mammalian mothers show more affection + emotional attachment
→ can attach at any point
Anthropomorphism, imprinting may not be relevant to explain complex human attachment

Describe and evaluate the Learning theory explanation of Attachment. (12 marks)
A01:
Classical Conditioning
UCS (milk) = UCR (relief)
NS (PCG) = no response
UCS (milk) + NS (PCG) = UCR (relief)
Through repetition and association of feeding
Infant thinks that PCG = milk
CS (PCG - old NS) = CS (relief)
Operant
Learn through rewards and reinforcement
Being fed = drive reduction
Child learns that