Research into secure and insecure attachment

Research into secure and insecure attachment

1. Studies have found that the Strang Situation classification is usually the same at different ages. This makes it reliable.

   • WARTNER ET AL. (1994)
     • Found that 78% of the German children were classified in the same way at 1 y/o and 6 y/o
   • MELHUISH (1993)
     • Found that when differences occurred in classification, these are often associated with changes in the form of care

2. LAMB (1997)

   • Infants behave differently depending on who they are with
   • Found that infants were classified as securely attached to mother but avoidant to father
   • Therefore, Strange Situation only measures particular attachments rather than general attachment types

3. ISABELLA ET AL (1989)

   • Mothers and infants who tended to be responsive to each other at one month were more likely to have a secure relationship at 12 months
   • Those who had a more one-sided pattern of interaction tended to have insecure relationships
   • (Ainsworth) Caregiver sensitivity hypothesis - attachment depends on the warm and loving responsiveness of the caregiver
   • (Ainsworth and Bell) Secure attachments were the result of mothers being sensitive to her children's needs

4. Temperament hypothesis, KAGAN (1992)

   • Some infants may form secure attachments due to innate tendencies, personality, and temperamental characteristics
   • Child's temperament may account for behaviour in Strange Situation instead of caregiver's sensitivity
     • Some children may be innately more vulnerable to stress and therefore will respond differently according to their innate temperament
   • BELSKY and ROVINE (1987)
     • Newborns who showed signs of 'behavioural instability' were less likely to form a secure attachment to their mother compared to newborns who did not show this behaviour
       • Infant temperament instead of caregiver sensitivity may be the important factor when it comes to attachment formation and later behaviour