Why do babies develop attachments?

Lesson Four

Starter: The Continuity Hypothesis

• The types of relationships people have later on in their lives will be influenced by their first relationships with their caregivers

• Secure children will develop a positive working model of themselves, based on their feelings of security from being well cared for

• Avoidant children will have a primary caregiver who is inconsistent and the children have negative self image and exaggerate their emotional responses.

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

• ‘Is love in adulthod directly related to the attachment type as a child?’

• Put a ‘love quiz’ in their local N American paper asking people to write in about

• Which of three descriptions best applied their feelings/experiences about romantic relationships

• A simple adjective checklist describing their childhood relationship with their parents

Example sentences

Findings

• Two groups of people:1.215 men, 415 women randomly selected from

responses2.108 undergraduates at university• Found a strong relationship between

childhood attachment type and adult attachment type

What type of attachment?

• Secure – expressed a belief in lasting love, trusted others and were confident that they were loving

• Anxious avoidant – doubted the existence of love, didn’t feel that a relationship was needed to get lots out of life

• Anxious ambivalent – fell in love easily but rarely found true love. Felt insecure

Further support

• Page 55 of Nelson Thornes book• Black and Schutte studyo What was their sample?o What were their three measures?o What was special about those who recalled

positive and loving relationships with their mothers?

o What about their fathers?

Evaluating evidence

• Both Black and Schutte’s study and Hazan and Shaver’s study relies on asking young people their opinions about their relationships with their parents

• Give two problems with this• Give one alternative way that the researchers

could have investigated this

Evaluation of Evolutionary Theory• The existence of the critical period – what about

those who are adopted?• Monotropy – why do we bond with our

grandparents and fathers then?• What about children of divorce? • Many overcome negative childhood experiences

to have ‘normal’ adult lives• Ignores the importance of dad• This is a theory, not a factual study!!• BUT it is very influential, and still used today

Plenary

1. Outline the learning theory explanation of attachments

2. Give one piece of evidence which contradicts this explanation of attachment

3. Outline Bowlby’s theory of attachment4. Give on piece of evidence for and one against

this theory5. What are the main differences between the

learning theory and the evolutionary theory?