Attachment (Various impacts)

Attachment (Various impacts)

1. Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

   • Cultural variations = Ways different groups vary in terms of their social practices and the effects these have on development of behaviours.
     • Cultural Similiarities = African tribe - extended family groups where only slept with mum but still its primary attachment.
       • Conclusion = Storngest attach still formed with infants mother, even with differences in cultural attitudes & practices.
         • Nation rather than culture = Countires were actually comapred not cultures but within each country is a set of sub cultures. Caution should be exercised i.e. urban vs rurla areas.
           • Cultural bias = We measure from a western perspective. The continuity hypothesis is different in each culture. Cultural types play a role.
           • Indigenous theories = May be the solution though Posanda suggests there are universal attachment behaviours like the need for protection.
         • Cross cultural research = Psycholgists use IQ tests and observational methods. All designed by American researchers. each culture has its own view such as japan likes to have a dominant insecure resistant pop as its normal for them. An imposed etic is used to use one culture to measure against another. - lacks validity.
       • Similiarities not innately determined = The reason for universal similairites os because attachment is an innate mechanism, unmodified by culture. Media like tv and books can spread ideas of parenting. Children across the globe are exposed to similiar influences - so not biological the reason why.
     • Cultural differences = Grossman & Grossman - more insecure in German sample than Japan, as independence is in Germany and close proximity to mum in Japan.
   • Procedure = A meta anaylsis of 32 studies examining over 2000 SS classifications in 8 countries. Wanted to see inter and intra cultural differences. Findings = Secure attachment was the most common in all. While insecure avoidant was the next most common except in Israel and Japan. Both collectivist countries at the time. The global pattern is similar to the US - behaviour is biological thus innate.

2. Bowlyby (1953)

   • Theory of maternal deprivation
     • Value of maternal care = no one had considered the long term importance but research from him and others highlighted the issues. A good standard of food & physical care was needed, if caregiver left child. Bowlby belived that infants needed a secure and strong bond with a mother to ensure normal congnitive development.
       • Real world application = increase in post war care as parents were allowed to stay with children in hospital as beofre frequent seperation was common impacting on the childs level of stress.
     • Critical period = If denied care then long term effects, seperation will only have this affect if before 2 and a half years old but up to 5 years there is a risk. Deprivation important than seperation.
       • Long term consequence = Emotional dev issues like depression
         • Support for long term effects = Experiencing early maternal deprivation actually increases the likelhood of negative outcomes. 25% of women in a study would develop depression if a loss of a maternal figure in early life compared to 15% with no separation.
       • Physical and emotional separation = Can relate to psychological separation, even if mother is stll present but fails to provide continuous care. Mothers who were depressed and had childre found 55% were insecurely attahced - showing psycholgical separtion leads top deprivation.
     • 44 THIEVES - Procedure = Analysed case histories of 88 kids in clinic with emotional issues - 44 were thieves. Were affectionless and had little responsability for ones self. Findings = If affectionless then had exxperienced early seperation from a mother,86% suffered frequent seperation compared to the rest. The control group did not have any seperations. A lack of continuous care = emotional malnutrition.
       • Individual differences = Not all children are affected by emotional disruption in the same way, if securley atttached children were more likely to deal with loss better and become less distressed. Children in hospital with TB were not allowed carers and nurses could not provide reasonabale care. 63% become maladjusted.
       • Deprivation VS privation = Privation refers to situations where the child fails to develop an attachment bond with one caregiver, and dperivation refers to situations where does develop but through prolonged peirods of separation and trauma.

3. Influence of early attachments

   • Internal working model = A model used to predict behaviour for the future to control envrionment.
     • Behaviours influenced by the internal working model = 1) Childhood friendships - if secure in infancy then more social competence, less isolated and more competent. 2) poor parenting = Poor ealry attach then no link to use for future relationships. 3) Romantic relationships = secure then longer lasting relationships. 4) Mental health = lack of attach during critical period in dev would result in a lacking internal working modle of memory.
       • Low correlations = not all research has found strong correlations, insecure anxious attachment scould bring down the correlations becuase of their behviour.
       • An alternative explanation = we are guided by self verification processes. we seek others who confirm to our expectations. it is the adult secure relationship cuasing the attchment type.
   • Hazan and Schaffer
     • Procedure = placed love quiz in rocky mountain article. to idnetify attachment types now and in childhood and attitudes towards love. 620 responses. Findings = 56% were secure, 25% were avodiant and 19% were resistent. If secure then pat and present love were a lot better. - more enduring. also had a positive internal working model.
       • research is correlational = can't assume early attachments and later love styles are a cause and effect - innate tempermant can have an effect. Could affect how a parent responds to a child.
       • Most ask about adults past love, can be flawed and innacurate. but longitudinal studeis support hazan and shaffer.
       • overly determinist = plenty of instances were happy adult relationships can be formed despite being insecurley attached.