1. Developmental Psychology

2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY ATTACHMENT
Key Term: Attachment
Attachment can be defined as an emotional relationship between two people in which each seeks closeness and feels more secure when in the presence of the attachment figure.
Key Term: Primary Attachment figure
The person who has formed the closest bond with a child, demonstrated by the intensity of the relationship.
Textbook also contains a longer definition by Ainsworth & Bell (1970) in the top left of page 50.

3. HWK Explanations of attachment : Bowlby’s theory
Evolutionary Innate imprinting
monotropy
Social releasers
Critical(Sensitive) period
Internal working model

4. Bowlby’s Theory Video - are mothers necessary are mothers necessary
Bowlby’s ideas
Evidence
criticisms

5. Bowlby’s Theory Attachment is innate
Critical or Sensitive period Limited period of time in which attachment to form
Social releasers Infants have innate behaviours designed to elicit or create caregiving in others
Monotropy- one special attachment
Internal working model – a model for what relationships are like based on attachment to primary caregiver

6. Innate programming
Attachment innate process for both infant and parent
Evolved because it promotes survival (Darwin’s theory of evolution)
Safety – attachment results in desire to keep close – infant and caregiver experience anxiety when separated therefore seek each others proximity
Emotional relationships – enables infant to learn how to form healthy relationships necessary for procreation
Secure base for exploration – enables infant to explore world from safe base – exploration important for mental development

7. Social Releasers
infant innately elicits care-giving from mother-figure by means of social releasers – behaviours such as smiling or crying which encourage response
infants have innate social releasers and mother-figure innate responses to these – promotes survival

8. Critical (or sensitive) period
Only limited period in which attachments can form (biologically determined)
based on work of Lorenz- found goslings would attach or imprint on first thing they saw (e.g. Lorenz himself and even a matchbox)
Imprinting – occurs during short critical period
If baby does not form attachment before age of 2½ years, then would not be possible thereafter

9. Monotropy Infants develop one special attachment (usually mother)
This is the infant’s primary attachment figure
Infants can have multiple attachments but have one special relationship

10. Internal working model
A mental representation of relationships
Child who has loving relationship with reliable caregiver will use this in future relationships
Child who has poor treatment will tend expect similar treatment in future relationships
Good internal working model=good future relationships/parenting skills
Poor internal working model= bad future relationships/parenting skills

11. Bowlby’s theory of attachment
In pairs/small groups
Describe the theory in pictures

12. Draw images to describe Bowlby’s theory
No words
Critical period
Social releasers
Monotropy
Internal working model

13. Task Use images to represent the concepts
Choose someone in your team to be the illustrator
The other person should try to think of images that could be drawn
Prize for best two!

14. Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment
Key idea-critical period
Key idea – social releasers
Key idea – monotropy
Key idea – internal working model

15. Past paper questions

16. Q2.Outline Bowlby’s theory of attachment.
Bowlby's theory of attachment suggests attachment is important for a child's survival.
Attachment behaviours in both babies and their caregivers have evolved through natural selection(evolution).
Infants are innately programmed to form an attachment.
This is a biological process and takes place during a critical period.
The role of social releasers, such as crying and smiling, is emphasised. These innate behaviours have developed to bring about caring behaviours from adults.
The concept of monotropy suggests that there is one relationship which is more important than all the rest. Infants develop an internal working model of how relationships should develop and they use this in relationships later in life.

17. How is Bowlby’s theory different to learning theory?
List 3 differences

18. Supports/challenges Bowlby? Why?

19. Shaffer and Emerson’s (1964) studied 60 infants in Scotland, observing them once a month from birth to 12 months, then again at 18 months. 60% of infants formed their primary attachment, their first and most important attachment with their mother.

20. However 40% formed their primary attachment with someone other than their mother – with their father, older sister or brother or grandparent. Also nearly one third formed multiple attachments to two or more persons.

21. Brazleton (1975) babies lied motionless when mothers instructed to ignore babies’ signals and remain silent and expressionless

22. Bailey(2007) Mothers who reported poor relationships with their own mother likely to have poor attachments to their children

23. Evaluation of Bowlby
Use the following findings to write PEEL paragraphs

24. Top and tail There is evidence to support monotropy
Shaffer and Emerson’s (1964) studied 60 infants in Scotland, observing them once a month from birth to 12 months, then again at 18 months. 60% of infants formed their primary attachment, their first and most important attachment with their mother.
This supports the view that children have a special relationship with one person, usually the mother

25. Shaffer and Emerson’s (1964) studied 60 infants in Scotland, observing them once a month from birth to 12 months, then again at 18 months. 60% of infants formed their primary attachment, their first and most important attachment with their mother.

26. However 40% formed their primary attachment with someone other than their mother – with their father, older sister or brother or grandparent. Also nearly one third formed multiple attachments to two or more persons.

27. Brazleton (1975) babies lied motionless when mothers instructed to ignore babies’ signals and remain silent and expressionless

28. Bailey(2007) Mothers who reported poor relationships with their own mother likely to have poor attachments to their children

29. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation

30. ‘Mother love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health’ Discuss with your neighbour Decide if you agree with the statement Give 3 reasons/pieces of evidence

31. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
Deprivation – when a child has some element of care taken away from them e.g. mother’s love and attention
The critical period
If a child is separated from their mother and deprived of her emotional care, they will suffer long term psychological damage

32. Video – breaking the bonds
How might bonds be broken?
What are the effects of breaking the bonds?
What evidence is there that prolonged separations from mothers causes psychological damage?
How could you reduce the effects of maternal deprivation?
Not had a Learning conversation? –now’s your chance….

33. Essay plans homework Go through each plan Compare with you neighbour
Add one thing to each of your plans

34. Re-cap: terms a lot of us forgot!
Interactional synchrony:
Reciprocity:
Learning theory
Classical conditioning:
Operant conditioning:
Internal Working Model

35. Check (tick for each one) and improve
Interactional synchrony Caregiver and infant reflect or mirror the other - imitating Reciprocity Caregiver and infant communicate with each other and respond to each others signals, turn-taking.
Classical conditioning
Learning by association
Operant conditioning
Learning by consequences
Internal Working Model
Mental representations of our attachment to our primary caregiver

36. Effects of maternal deprivation on development
Goldfarb(1947) found lower IQ in children in institutions as opposed to those who were fostered
Give 2 reasons for this finding
Bowlby found children who had prolonged early separations from their mothers were more likely to be described as having signs of ‘affectionless psychopathy’ (inability to experience emotions for others)
Read the description of the study on page 88 and
Identify the IV and DV
List 3 possible confounding variables
Explain 3 problems with the way in which the research was conducted

37. Evaluation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
Evidence may be poor
Natural experiments = low control over extraneous variables
44 thieves conducted in 1944 – many children war-orphans and traumatised by war which may explain emotional problems, not maternal deprivation
Researcher bias – interviews conducted by Bowlby who may have recorded evidence which supported his hypothesis
Counter evidence
Lewis – replicated 44 thieves with 500 young people and found little relationship between early deprivation and criminality
Koluchova – twin boys locked in cellar by step mother from age of 18 months recovered fully after receiving excellent loving care from two loving adults
Extra –
Animals studies support negative effects of maternal deprivation – but can we generalise findings to humans? Also were these studies of just maternal deprivation or of social deprivation in general
Failure to distinguish between deprivation and privation

38. Romanian Orphans

39. Romanian orphans

40. 1a Independent groups / unrelated – 1 mark.
Where different people / children / groups take part in each condition – 1 mark.
Where name repeated, other or no design can still gain outline mark.

41. 1b
DV – (number of) temper outbursts.

42. 1c
Award up to 3 marks for an outline of an appropriate study. The most likely studies are: Belsky (1988) more than 20 hours nursery care per week and attachment insecurity; Bowlby (1946) 44 thieves study; Quinton and Rutter (1976) hospital separations. Accept other valid studies.
Award marks as follows: credit detail of method and results and conclusion. If method / results is very detailed then 2 marks can be awarded for either aspect.
Exclude studies where focus in clearly privation eg, Harlow, Koluchova, Genie, Romanian orphans, Goldfarb.

43. 1d
Award 1 mark for giving a very brief or general limitation. For second mark there must be some expansion ie why / how it limits the conclusions that can be drawn from the study.
Points will depend on study used in answer to (c) eg Bowlby – possible researcher bias; retrospective data; inability to show cause and effect; poor validity.
Credit in respect of (c) even if the answer to (c) is an inappropriate study.

44. 2
Read the stem
Plan out your answer in the box (Hint: treat this as 2 essays:
Describe Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory (hint: use technical terms)
Evaluate Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory (hint: aim for 4 PEEL points)

45. 2 Highlight links to Joe/stem
In another colour highlight technical language (e.g. critical period)
Count up the number of evaluation points you made
Highlight links

46. 2 Level Marks Description 4 10 – 12
Level
Marks
Description 4
10 – 12
Knowledge of maternal deprivation theory is accurate and generally well detailed. Discussion is thorough and effective. Application to the stem is appropriate and links between theory and stem content are explained. The answer is clear, coherent and focused. Specialist terminology is used effectively. Minor detail and / or expansion of argument sometimes lacking. 3
7 – 9
Knowledge of maternal deprivation theory is evident. Discussion is apparent and mostly effective. There are occasional inaccuracies. Application to the stem is appropriate although links to theory are not always explained. The answer is mostly clear and organised. Specialist terminology mostly used effectively. Lacks focus in places. 2
4 – 6
Knowledge of maternal deprivation theory is present. Focus is mainly on description. Any discussion is only partly effective. Application to the stem is partial. The answer lacks clarity, accuracy and organisation in places. Specialist terminology used inappropriately on occasions. 1
1 – 3
Knowledge of maternal deprivation theory is limited. Discussion is limited, poorly focused or absent. Application is limited or absent. The answer as a whole lacks clarity, has many inaccuracies and is poorly organised. Specialist terminology either absent or inappropriately used.
No relevant content.

47. Possible content:
•        Bowlby’s view of monotropy – single attachment
•        Bowlby’s theory of irreversibility – consequences cannot be reversed
•        Bowlby’s view about a critical period – if attachment is disrupted / not formed it is too late
•        Bowlby’s consequences of maternal deprivation – delinquency; affectionless psychopathy; low IQ etc
•        Bowlby’s theory of the internal working model as a template for later relationships.
Credit other relevant aspects of Bowlby’s theory.
Possible application points:
•        Joe’s difficult relationships may be due to a lack of opportunity to develop an internal working model
•        adopted at seven years old, Joe is beyond the critical period for forming attachments
•        Joe shows consequences of maternal deprivation – delinquency – ‘in trouble at school’; low IQ – ‘struggling with classwork’; affectionless psychopathy – ‘little regard for the feelings of others’.
Possible discussion points:
•        Bowlby’s confusion over privation and deprivation
•        validity of extrapolation from and comparison with animal studies (Harlow)
•        overemphasis on mother and monotropy
•        sensible focus on importance of childhood experiences
•        wider implications, eg changes in child hospitalisation
•        use of evidence to support or refute Bowlby’s work, eg Schaffer’s multiple attachments; studies contradicting the critical period and reversibility, eg Rutter’s Romanian orphan research.
Credit other relevant discussion points.
Only credit evaluation of the methodology used in studies when made relevant to discussion of Bowlby’s work on maternal deprivation.

48. Evidence – Summarise a study under each heading in 10 words or less
Evidence supporting Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis
12 of the 14 thieves with affectionless psychopathy had separations
Limitations of Bowlby’s research
Evidence against Bowlby’s theory
Evidence from animal studies

49. Evidence supporting Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis
12 of the 14 thieves with affectionless psychopathy had separations.
The evidence may be poor
Thieves could have affectionless psychopathy due to the war.
This Bowlby was biased and may have selected evidence to support his theory.
Counter evidence
Lewis found early prolonged separation did not predict criminality.
Kulochova found twins who’d been locked in cellar thrived well later in life.
Support from Animal studies
Levy found separated baby rats lead to social problems later in life.

50. Group planning essay Write your name on the top
Write a clear sentence introducing a point(this is the crucial bit, if this doesn’t make sense the whole paragraph is lost!)
Pass it on to you neighbour who adds the evidence
Pass it on to another person who adds the link
Give the essay to the next person….do this 16 times to end up with a decent essay
You will have to look back at the previous points to ensure you do not repeat yourself
If a point does not make sense – send it back