The Development of Psychological Attachments

Tutor Guidance

This foundational session introduces students to the concept of attachment through two of the most influential (and controversial) animal studies in psychology. The primary goal is to establish why these early studies were pivotal in shifting the psychological perspective from a simple "cupboard love" theory to a more complex understanding of comfort and security. For online delivery, use visual aids and video clips of the original experiments to make the concepts tangible. Encourage a debate on the ethics of animal research, as this is a critical evaluation point that will be relevant throughout the module. The session should set the stage for Bowlby's more comprehensive human-focused theory in the next session.

Narrative Explanatory Content

1.1 The "Cupboard Love" Theory: A Behaviourist Perspective

Before the mid-20th century, the dominant explanation for the bond between an infant and a primary caregiver was rooted in behaviourism. This perspective, often termed the "cupboard love" theory, proposed that attachment is a learned behaviour. According to classical conditioning, the infant, who is born with an innate pleasure response to food (an unconditioned stimulus), learns to associate the caregiver (a neutral stimulus) with the provision of food. Over time, the caregiver alone becomes a conditioned stimulus, capable of eliciting a pleasure response (the conditioned response), which forms the basis of the attachment bond. Similarly, operant conditioning suggests that the infant's cries for food are positively reinforced by the caregiver providing sustenance, and the caregiver is negatively reinforced by the cessation of the infant's crying. This mutual reinforcement strengthens the bond. In essence, the theory posits that attachment is secondary to the primary drive of hunger.

• Real-World Example 1: A baby cries when hungry. The mother consistently feeds the baby, who then stops crying and feels content. The baby learns to associate the mother with the pleasant feeling of being fed and relieved of hunger.
• Real-World Example 2: A toddler who is given a biscuit every time they see their grandparent may start to show excitement and affection (an attachment behaviour) upon the grandparent's arrival, anticipating the treat.
• Real-World Example 3: In many households, pets often show the most affection to the person who feeds them, running to them excitedly at mealtimes, which can be seen as a simple parallel to the cupboard love idea.

1.2 Konrad Lorenz and Imprinting

Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz (1935) challenged the simplicity of the cupboard love theory with his groundbreaking research on imprinting in geese. Ethology is the study of animal behaviour in natural settings. Lorenz conducted an experiment where he divided a clutch of greylag goose eggs. Half were hatched naturally by the mother, and the other half were hatched in an incubator where the first moving object they saw was Lorenz. The goslings hatched by the mother followed her, while the incubator-hatched goslings followed Lorenz everywhere. He found that this imprinting behaviour was restricted to a "critical period" of just a few hours after hatching. If the goslings did not see a moving object to imprint on within this window, they would not form an attachment at all. This suggested that attachment was an innate, pre-programmed behaviour, not a learned one, and that it was not dependent on feeding.

• Real-World Example 1: Ducklings seen following a human or even a family dog around a farm are demonstrating imprinting, having attached to the first large moving object they encountered after hatching.
• Real-World Example 2: Conservation programs for endangered birds sometimes use puppets that resemble the adult bird to feed chicks, ensuring they imprint on their own species and not on human keepers.
• Real-World Example 3: The concept of a "critical period" has influenced human developmental psychology, suggesting there are optimal windows for learning skills like language and forming social bonds.

1.3 Harry Harlow's Monkeys: The Importance of Contact Comfort

Harry Harlow';s (1958) work with rhesus monkeys provided a powerful and definitive critique of the cupboard love theory. Harlow separated infant monkeys from their mothers at birth and raised them with two surrogate "mothers." One was a bare wire-mesh mother that provided milk from an attached bottle. The other was a soft, cloth-covered mother that offered no milk. According to the cupboard love theory, the monkeys should have attached to the wire mother who provided food. However, Harlow found the opposite. The infant monkeys spent the vast majority of their time clinging to the soft cloth mother, only visiting the wire mother briefly to feed. When frightened, they invariably ran to the cloth mother for security. This demonstrated unequivocally that "contact comfort" was a more crucial factor in attachment formation than the provision of food.

• Real-World Example 1: A distressed toddler will often seek a hug from a parent rather than a snack, even if they are slightly hungry, demonstrating the need for comfort over sustenance.
• Real-World Example 2: The widespread use of soft toys and security blankets ("transitional objects") by children highlights the psychological importance of tactile comfort in providing a sense of safety.
• Real-World Example 3: In neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), the practice of "kangaroo care" (placing a premature infant skin-to-skin on a parent's chest) is encouraged as it is shown to improve health outcomes, underscoring the biological need for contact comfort.

1.4 Ethical Implications and Lasting Impact

While both Lorenz's and Harlow's studies were revolutionary, they raise significant ethical concerns. Lorenz's geese were irreversibly imprinted, affecting their later mating preferences. Harlow's experiments were particularly cruel; the monkeys he raised in isolation suffered severe and long-lasting psychological damage, growing up to be socially inept, aggressive, and unable to parent their own offspring. This research would not be permitted under modern ethical guidelines. Despite these issues, the impact of these studies was profound. They discredited the simplistic behaviourist view of attachment and paved the way for John Bowlby's evolutionary theory, which integrated concepts of innate drives, critical periods, and the primary importance of a secure emotional base.

Session 1 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
10 mins	Introduction & Live Poll on Attachment Formation
25 mins	Lecture: The "Cupboard Love" Theory (Classical & Operant Conditioning)
25 mins	Lecture & Video Clip: Konrad Lorenz and Imprinting
10 mins	Short Writing Exercise on Lorenz's findings
25 mins	Lecture & Video Clip: Harlow's Monkeys and Contact Comfort
15 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Ethical Debate on Harlow's Study
10 mins	Plenary: Group feedback, summary, and link to next session on Bowlby

Tutor Guidance

This session is pivotal as it introduces John Bowlby's comprehensive and influential theory of attachment. The focus should be on explaining how Bowlby synthesized ideas from ethology (Lorenz) and psychoanalysis to create an evolutionary framework. Break down the key concepts of ASCMI (Adaptive, Social Releasers, Critical Period, Monotropy, Internal Working Model) to make them digestible. The concept of the Internal Working Model is particularly important as it forms the bridge to later topics on adult relationships. Use diagrams and case studies to illustrate how the IWM functions. Encourage students to connect Bowlby's ideas back to the findings of Lorenz and Harlow from the previous session.

Narrative Explanatory Content

2.1 An Evolutionary Perspective on Attachment

John Bowlby (1969, 1988) rejected the learning theory of attachment, arguing that it failed to account for why attachments form even without the presence of food (as shown by Harlow). Instead, he proposed an evolutionary theory, suggesting that attachment is an innate, biological system that has evolved to increase an infant's chances of survival. In our evolutionary past (the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness), infants who stayed close to a caregiver were more likely to be protected from predators and the elements, survive to reproductive age, and pass on their genes. Therefore, attachment is a pre-programmed, adaptive behaviour. Bowlby's theory can be remembered using the acronym ASCMI.

• A - Adaptive: Attachments give our species an adaptive advantage, making it more likely that an infant will survive to maturity.
• S - Social Releasers: Babies are born with a set of innate 'cute' behaviours (e.g., smiling, cooing, gripping) that encourage attention from adults. Bowlby called these social releasers because their purpose is to activate the adult attachment system.
• C - Critical Period: Bowlby proposed a critical period of around two years when the infant attachment system is active. He viewed this more as a 'sensitive period'; if an attachment is not formed in this time, a child will find it much harder to form one later.
• M - Monotropy: Bowlby believed that infants form one primary, special, and intense attachment, typically with their mother. He argued this relationship was qualitatively different from any subsequent attachments and was central to the child's development.
• I - Internal Working Model: The child's relationship with their monotropic figure forms a mental representation or template for all future relationships.

2.2 Monotropy: The Primary Attachment Figure

A central tenet of Bowlby';s theory is the concept of monotropy. He placed great emphasis on a child's attachment to one particular caregiver, and he believed that this attachment is different and more important than others. Bowlby called this person the 'mother' but was clear that it did not have to be the biological mother or even a female; it was the person who responded most sensitively to the infant's signals. He proposed two principles to clarify this: the law of continuity (the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of their attachment) and the law of accumulated separation (the effects of every separation from the mother add up, and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose).

• Real-World Example 1: In a family with two parents and a grandparent living in the home, an infant may still show a clear preference for one parent when they are upset or scared, demonstrating a monotropic bond.
• Real-World Example 2: The historical and societal pressure for mothers to be stay-at-home parents in the mid-20th century was heavily influenced by Bowlby's emphasis on the mother's central role and the law of accumulated separation.
• Real-World Example 3 (Critique): Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) research, which we will explore later, found that while most infants did form a primary attachment first, a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time, challenging the exclusivity of monotropy.

2.3 Social Releasers and the Critical Period

Bowlby argued that attachment is a reciprocal process; it is not just the infant who is programmed to attach. Adults are also innately programmed to respond to infant behaviours. Social releasers are the set of innate behaviours, such as crying, smiling, and gripping, that babies are born with. These are irresistible to adults and trigger a caregiving response. This reciprocal interplay gradually builds the relationship during the early weeks of life. Bowlby, influenced by Lorenz, also proposed a critical period for attachment formation. He initially suggested this was up to 2.5 years of age. He believed that if a child did not form an attachment during this time, they would be at risk of severe and potentially irreversible developmental consequences.

• Real-World Example 1: The almost universal adult response to smile back at a smiling baby is an example of a social releaser activating the adult attachment system.
• Real-World Example 2: The distinct, high-pitched cry of a baby is evolutionarily designed to be hard to ignore, ensuring the infant gets the attention and care it needs for survival.
• Real-World Example 3: The case of Genie, a girl discovered in 1970 who had been severely neglected and isolated for 13 years, provides some support for the critical period concept. Despite intensive therapy, she never fully developed language or normal social bonds.

2.4 The Internal Working Model (IWM)

The Internal Working Model (IWM) is arguably Bowlby's most important contribution. He proposed that a child's first attachment with their primary caregiver forms a mental representation, or a template, for what relationships are like. A child whose first experience is of a loving, reliable, and responsive caregiver will form an IWM that assumes all relationships are like this. They will bring this expectation to future relationships and will likely seek out functional connections and behave in a functionally healthy way within them. Conversely, a child with a negative early experience (e.g., neglectful or inconsistent care) will develop an IWM where they expect relationships to be difficult and untrustworthy. This IWM affects the child's later ability to be a parent themselves, as people tend to base their parenting style on their own experiences of being parented.

• Real-World Example 1: An individual who had a securely attached childhood may enter adult romantic relationships with trust, confidence, and an ability to communicate their needs effectively.
• Real-World Example 2: Someone who experienced inconsistent care as a child might become anxious and "clingy" in adult relationships, constantly seeking reassurance that their partner won't leave them.
• Real-World Example 3: A person who was neglected as a child might avoid close relationships altogether or struggle to form them, believing that others will inevitably let them down.

Session 2 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
10 mins	Recap of Session 1 & Introduction to Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory
25 mins	Lecture: The Adaptive Nature of Attachment & Social Releasers
15 mins	Brainstorming Activity: Social Releasers
25 mins	Lecture: Monotropy and the Critical Period
25 mins	Lecture: The Internal Working Model (IWM) with Flowchart Explanation
20 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Case Study Analysis of the IWM

Tutor Guidance

This session moves from broad theories to the micro-level interactions that form the building blocks of attachment. The core concepts are Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony. It's crucial to differentiate them clearly. Use video clips of mother-infant interactions to make these abstract concepts visible and understandable. The "Still Face" experiment is a powerful tool here. The session should also introduce the challenges of researching infants, setting up critical evaluation skills for later sessions. Emphasise that these early "conversations" are not random but are a sophisticated, innate system for social connection.

Session 3 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
10 mins	Introduction: The Importance of Early Interactions
30 mins	Lecture & Video Analysis: Reciprocity - A Two-Way Street
30 mins	Lecture & Video Analysis: Interactional Synchrony - Mirroring and Connection
20 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Analysing the "Still Face" Experiment
20 mins	Discussion: The Challenges of Researching Infant Behaviour
10 mins	Plenary: Summary and link to Schaffer & Emerson's stages

Narrative Explanatory Content

3.1 The Foundations of Attachment: More Than Just Care

While theories provide a framework, attachment is built moment by moment through the subtle, non-verbal communication between an infant and their caregiver. From birth, babies are not passive recipients of care; they are active participants in a social world. These early interactions are crucial for cognitive and emotional development, teaching the infant the basic rules of social engagement. Psychologists have identified two key forms of caregiver-infant interaction that are fundamental to forming a strong bond: reciprocity and interactional synchrony. These interactions are like a finely tuned "dance" where each partner responds to the other's cues.

3.2 Reciprocity: A Two-Way Conversation

Reciprocity describes the turn-taking nature of caregiver-infant interactions. It's like a conversation where one person responds to the other. The infant sends out a signal (e.g., a smile, a gurgle), and the caregiver responds in a meaningful way (e.g., smiling back, speaking softly). This interaction is not one-sided; caregivers also elicit responses from the infant. Brazelton et al. (1975) described this as a "dance," where each partner responds to the other's moves. These interactions, while not necessarily synchronous, are crucial for teaching the infant about social rules and for building a sense of connection and trust.

• Real-World Example 1: A baby coos, and the mother smiles and coos back. The baby then waves its arms, and the mother gently tickles its tummy. This back-and-forth exchange is reciprocity.
• Real-World Example 2: A father plays peek-a-boo with his infant. The father hides his face and then reveals it, and the infant laughs. The infant's laugh encourages the father to continue the game.
• Real-World Example 3: An infant points at a toy. The caregiver looks at the toy and says, "You want the red ball!" This response validates the infant's communication attempt and strengthens their connection.

3.3 Interactional Synchrony: Mirroring Emotions

Interactional synchrony is a more refined form of interaction where the caregiver and infant mirror each other';s actions and emotions in a coordinated (synchronised) way. It's about being "in tune" with one another. Meltzoff and Moore (1977) conducted a famous study where an adult displayed one of three facial expressions or gestures to an infant. They found that infants as young as two weeks old would imitate the adult's expression, suggesting this ability is innate. Isabella et al. (1989) later found that high levels of synchrony were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment. This mirroring is believed to be important for emotional development and for the infant's understanding that they can affect the emotional state of others.

3.4 Challenges in Studying Infant Behaviour

While research into caregiver-infant interactions is fascinating, it is fraught with methodological challenges. It is difficult to know what is happening from the infant's perspective. Are their imitative behaviours deliberate and conscious, or are they simply an automatic, reflexive response? For example, when an infant mimics a tongue protrusion, is it an intentional act of communication or just a behaviour they do when they are interested in something? Furthermore, observations are open to observer bias, where researchers may interpret an infant's behaviour in a way that supports their hypothesis. To counter this, researchers often use multiple observers and check for inter-rater reliability. The small, subtle movements of infants also make their behaviour difficult to quantify reliably. These issues mean that while the evidence for reciprocity and synchrony is strong, we must be cautious in our interpretations.

Tutor Guidance

This session introduces the first major stage theory of human attachment, based on the landmark longitudinal study by Schaffer and Emerson. The focus should be on both the methodology of the study and the four stages it identified. It's important to highlight how this study provided empirical evidence that challenged both the "cupboard love" theory and aspects of Bowlby's theory (specifically monotropy). Use a flowchart or timeline to visually represent the stages. The evaluation of the study's methodology (e.g., reliance on maternal reports, cultural bias) is a key component and provides an excellent opportunity to reinforce research methods concepts.

Session 4 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: The Glasgow Babies Study (Schaffer &; Emerson, 1964)
30 mins	Lecture: The First Two Stages - Asocial and Indiscriminate Attachment
30 mins	Lecture: The Final Two Stages - Specific and Multiple Attachments
25 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Evaluating the Methodology of the Study
10 mins	Discussion: How the findings challenge monotropy
10 mins	Plenary: Summary of the four stages and their significance

Narrative Explanatory Content

4.1 The Glasgow Babies Study: A Landmark Investigation

In 1964, Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson conducted a major longitudinal study that provided one of the first detailed accounts of how attachment develops in human infants. They studied 60 babies from working-class families in Glasgow, visiting them in their homes every month for the first year and again at 18 months. The researchers gathered data through observations and interviews with the mothers. They measured attachment by assessing two key behaviours: separation anxiety (the level of protest shown by the infant when the caregiver leaves) and stranger anxiety (the level of distress shown by the infant in response to an unfamiliar person). This detailed, long-term study allowed them to map out a clear sequence of developmental stages.

4.2 Stage 1: The Asocial Stage (First Few Weeks)

In the first few weeks of life (approximately 0-6 weeks), infants' behaviour towards humans and inanimate objects is quite similar. Schaffer and Emerson termed this the "asocial" stage. This does not mean the baby is antisocial, but rather that their social behaviour is not yet directed at specific individuals. They show some preference for familiar adults (e.g., they are more easily calmed by them) and are happier in the presence of humans than when alone. At this stage, they are beginning to form bonds, but signs of attachment are not yet clear.

• Real-World Example 1: A three-week-old baby might stop crying when picked up by their mother, but they might also be calmed by being picked up by a visiting uncle or even just being swaddled in a warm blanket.
• Critical Issue: The term "asocial" is likely a misnomer. Research has shown that even newborns prefer looking at human faces and listening to human voices over other stimuli, suggesting the social learning process begins at birth.

4.3 Stage 2: Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months)

From around 2 to 7 months, infants begin to show a clear preference for people rather than inanimate objects and recognise and prefer familiar adults. They accept cuddles and comfort from any adult and do not usually show separation or stranger anxiety. Their attachment is "indiscriminate" because it is not directed at any one person. They will smile and engage with almost anyone. This phase is crucial for learning the general rules of social interaction.

• Real-World Example 1: A six-month-old baby might happily be passed around for cuddles at a family gathering, smiling at relatives they have never met before.
• Critical Issue: While behaviour is indiscriminate, the infant is still learning. They are forming the foundations of their Internal Working Model by experiencing how different people respond to them.

4.4 Stage 3: Specific Attachment (From around 7 months)

Around the 7-month mark, a major shift occurs. Infants start to display classic signs of attachment towards one particular adult (the primary attachment figure). This is characterised by the onset of both stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. The infant will show joy upon reunion with their primary caregiver and will be easily comforted by them. Schaffer and Emerson found that in 65% of cases, this primary attachment was to the mother. This specific attachment figure acts as a "secure base" from which the infant can explore the world.

• Real-World Example 1: An eight-month-old who was previously happy with strangers suddenly starts crying when their mother leaves the room or when an unfamiliar person tries to hold them.
• Critical Issue: Schaffer and Emerson found that the primary attachment was not always with the person who spent the most time with the infant, but with the person who responded most sensitively and quickly to their signals (interactional synchrony), directly challenging the "cupboard love" theory.

4.5 Stage 4: Multiple Attachments (By one year)

Shortly after forming a specific attachment, infants extend this behaviour to other adults with whom they spend regular time. These are called secondary attachments. Schaffer and Emerson observed that by the age of one year, the majority of infants had formed multiple attachments (e.g., to fathers, grandparents, siblings). This finding is a significant challenge to Bowlby's theory of monotropy, which suggested that only one attachment was primary and all others were of minor importance. Schaffer and Emerson argued that these multiple attachments are also crucial for a child's social development.

Tutor Guidance

This session critically examines the traditionally mother-centric view of attachment by focusing on the father's role. The key debate is whether fathers act as primary attachment figures in the same way as mothers, or if they have a different, complementary role. It's important to present evidence for both sides. Discuss Schaffer and Emerson's findings on primary attachment, contrasting them with more contemporary research that highlights the father's role in play and stimulation. This topic offers a great opportunity to discuss how social and cultural changes (e.g., more stay-at-home fathers) can influence psychological theories and research findings.

Session 5 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Challenging the Mother-Centric View
30 mins	Lecture: Fathers as Primary Attachment Figures - Evidence and Limitations
30 mins	Lecture: Fathers as Secondary Figures - The Role of Play and Stimulation
25 mins	Breakout Room Debate: "Is the father's role in attachment different or just secondary?"
20 mins	Discussion: Social, Economic, and Cultural Factors Influencing the Father's Role

Narrative Explanatory Content

5.1 A Historically Secondary Role

Historically, psychological theories, particularly those of Freud and Bowlby, have emphasised the mother as the central and most important figure in an infant's life. Bowlby's concept of monotropy, in particular, positioned the father as a minor figure in the hierarchy of attachments. Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) study seemed to support this; they found that in only 3% of cases was the father the first specific attachment. In 27% of cases, the father was the joint first attachment with the mother. However, by 18 months, 75% of infants had formed a secondary attachment to their father, protesting when the father walked away. This suggests that while fathers are important, their role has traditionally been seen as secondary to the mother's.

5.2 Fathers as Primary Caregivers

Can a father take on the role of the primary attachment figure? Research suggests that they can. The key to attachment is not the gender of the caregiver but the level of sensitive responsiveness they provide. Field (1978) filmed 4-month-old babies in face-to-face interactions with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers, and primary caregiver fathers. Primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers. This behaviour appears to be important in building an attachment with the infant. This suggests that fathers have the potential to be the more emotion-focused primary attachment figure; they can provide the responsive care that forms the basis of a secure attachment, but perhaps only express this when given the role of primary caregiver.

• Real-World Example 1: In families where the father is a stay-at-home parent, the infant will almost certainly form their primary attachment with him, seeking him out for comfort and security.
• Real-World Example 2: Following the death or departure of a mother, a father can and often does step into the primary caregiver role, forming a strong, secure attachment with his child.

5.3 A Distinct Role: Play and Stimulation

While fathers can be primary caregivers, a large body of research suggests that, in two-parent heterosexual families, fathers often adopt a different role from mothers. Grossman (2002) conducted a longitudinal study looking at both parents' behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children's attachments into their teens. The quality of infant attachment with mothers, but not fathers, was related to children's attachments in adolescence, suggesting the father's role is less important in long-term emotional development. However, the quality of fathers' play with infants was related to the quality of adolescent attachments. This suggests that fathers have a different role in attachment – one that is more to do with play and stimulation, and less to do with nurturing and comfort.

• Real-World Example 1: It is common to see fathers engaging in more physical, "rough-and-tumble" play with their children, such as throwing them in the air or wrestling, while mothers may engage in quieter activities like reading or singing.
• Real-World Example 2: Fathers often encourage risk-taking and problem-solving during play, which helps children to be more independent and resilient.

5.4 Inconsistent Findings and Social Context

The research on the role of the father can be confusing, with some studies showing fathers as secondary figures and others highlighting their capacity for a primary role. This inconsistency may be due to researchers asking different questions. Research into the father as a primary caregiver is asking "Can fathers be the primary attachment figure?";, while research into the father as a secondary caregiver is asking "What is the father's unique contribution?". The answer to the first is 'yes', and to the second is that their contribution is often different. Furthermore, social norms and cultural expectations have changed significantly since the 1960s. Traditional gender roles are no longer the norm in many societies, and this has a direct impact on the father's role in child-rearing. This means that findings from early research may lack temporal validity today.

Tutor Guidance

This session revisits Lorenz's study in greater detail, focusing on its procedural elements and theoretical implications. The key concepts to reinforce are imprinting, the critical period, and sexual imprinting. Use video clips of the original study to make the process clear. The main pedagogical goal is to use Lorenz's work as a springboard for a critical discussion on the generalisability of animal studies to humans. This is a fundamental evaluation skill in psychology. Encourage students to think about both the similarities (e.g., innate bonding mechanisms) and the profound differences (e.g., role of emotion and cognition) between animal and human attachment.

Session 6 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Why Study Animals in Attachment Research?
30 mins	Lecture & Video: Lorenz's (1935) Procedure and Findings
25 mins	Analysis: The Critical Period and Sexual Imprinting
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Evaluating Lorenz's Research (Strengths & Weaknesses)
20 mins	Plenary Discussion: The Problem of Generalising from Birds to Humans

Narrative Explanatory Content

6.1 The Ethological Approach to Attachment

Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, typically with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily adaptive trait. Konrad Lorenz, a key figure in ethology, was interested in how young animals attach to their mothers. He observed that in certain species, this attachment process was innate and automatic. His work provided a biological, evolutionary alternative to the behaviourist "cupboard love" theory and heavily influenced John Bowlby's later work on human attachment.

6.2 Lorenz's (1935) Imprinting Study: Procedure and Findings

Lorenz conducted a classic experiment with greylag geese. He randomly divided a large clutch of goose eggs. One half was hatched by the mother goose in their natural environment. The other half was hatched in an incubator where the first moving object they saw was Lorenz. He found that the incubator group followed him everywhere, while the control group followed their mother. When the two groups were mixed, they continued to follow their respective "mothers." Lorenz called this phenomenon imprinting, whereby certain bird species attach to and follow the first moving object they see. He identified several key characteristics of this process: it was innate (not learned), irreversible, and occurred within a specific timeframe.

• Real-World Application: The principles of imprinting are used in conservation. For example, when reintroducing endangered cranes into the wild, conservationists wear crane costumes to ensure the chicks imprint on their own species.

6.3 The Critical Period and Sexual Imprinting

Lorenz noted that imprinting would only occur within a brief, set period after hatching, which he called the critical period. For geese, this was as short as a few hours. If a gosling did not see a moving object to imprint on during this time, it would not attach to a mother figure at all. This concept had a profound influence on Bowlby, who proposed a similar, though more flexible, "sensitive period" for human attachment. Lorenz also observed the long-term effects of imprinting. He found that the birds that had imprinted on him would later, as adults, display courtship behaviour towards him and other humans, showing no interest in other geese. He called this sexual imprinting, where the birds acquire a template of the desirable characteristics required in a mate.

6.4 Evaluating Lorenz's Research: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Generalisability

Lorenz';s research was highly influential and provided strong evidence against the learning theory of attachment. However, it has been criticised. Later research (Guiton et al., 1966) found that chickens who imprinted on yellow washing-up gloves would try to mate with them as adults (as Lorenz predicted), but with experience, they learned to prefer mating with other chickens. This suggests that the effects of imprinting are not as permanent and irreversible as Lorenz claimed. The most significant limitation, however, is the problem of generalisability. The attachment system in mammals is very different and more complex than in birds. For example, mammalian mothers show more emotional affection to their young. This means it is not appropriate to generalise Lorenz's findings directly to humans. While his work was important for highlighting the adaptive nature of attachment and the concept of a critical period, we must be cautious about drawing direct parallels to human development.

Tutor Guidance

This session focuses on Harlow's powerful and ethically contentious research. The primary goal is to ensure students understand how Harlow's findings systematically dismantled the "cupboard love" theory by demonstrating the primacy of "contact comfort." Use video clips of the experiments, as they are very impactful. A significant portion of the session must be dedicated to a structured discussion of the severe ethical issues and the long-term consequences for the monkeys. This is a key case study in the history of psychological ethics. Conclude by linking Harlow's findings to the human need for a "secure base" and the devastating effects of maternal deprivation.

Session 7 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: The Question of Comfort vs. Food
30 mins	Lecture & Video: Harlow's (1958) Procedure - The Two Mothers
25 mins	Analysis of Findings: Contact Comfort and the Secure Base
30 mins	Breakout Room Debate: The Ethics of Harlow's Research
20 mins	Discussion: Maternal Deprivation in Monkeys and Links to Humans

Narrative Explanatory Content

7.1 The Theoretical Background: Testing Learning Theory

In the 1950s, the dominant theory of attachment was the behaviourist "cupboard love" theory, which proposed that infants attach to the person who feeds them. Harry Harlow sought to test this idea. He believed that this explanation was inadequate and that a more powerful motivator for attachment existed. His work with rhesus monkeys, which are genetically more similar to humans than geese, provided a more powerful model for understanding human attachment.

7.2 Harlow's (1958) Procedure: The Wire vs. Cloth Mothers

Harlow conducted a series of experiments with 16 baby rhesus monkeys who were separated from their biological mothers at birth. They were raised in isolation cages with two surrogate ";mothers." In the key condition, one surrogate was made of bare wire mesh but had a feeding bottle attached (the "wire mother"). The second surrogate was covered in soft towelling cloth but offered no food (the "cloth mother"). The amount of time the monkeys spent with each mother was recorded. The monkeys' responses to being frightened (e.g., by a noisy mechanical teddy bear) were also observed.

• Key Finding: The baby monkeys cuddled the soft cloth mother in preference to the wire one and sought comfort from the cloth one when frightened, regardless of which one dispensed milk.

7.3 The Primacy of Contact Comfort

The findings were stark and conclusive. The monkeys spent only the minimal amount of time necessary to feed from the wire mother, but spent up to 22 hours a day clinging to the cloth mother. This demonstrated that contact comfort was of far greater importance to the monkeys than food when it came to attachment behaviour. The cloth mother also served as a secure base from which the monkeys would explore their environment, periodically returning to it for reassurance. This research showed that attachment does not develop as a result of being fed by a mother figure but as a result of the comfort and security she provides.

7.4 Maternal Deprivation and Ethical Catastrophe

Harlow followed the monkeys who had been deprived of a real mother into adulthood to see if this early maternal deprivation had a permanent effect. The consequences were severe. The monkeys were psychologically damaged for life. They were more aggressive, less sociable, and less skilled in mating than other monkeys. When they became mothers themselves, some of them neglected their young, while others attacked and sometimes even killed their own offspring. The severity of the psychological damage inflicted on the monkeys raises profound ethical questions. The value of the research in shaping our understanding of attachment is undeniable, but the cost in animal suffering was immense. This study is a primary example used in debates about the ethics of animal research and has led to much stricter guidelines today.

Tutor Guidance

This session provides a more formal and detailed explanation of the Learning Theory of attachment, often called the "cupboard love" theory. The goal is to ensure students can articulate how the principles of both classical and operant conditioning are applied to explain the formation of the infant-caregiver bond. Use clear, step-by-step diagrams to illustrate the conditioning processes. It is crucial to then guide students through a thorough critique of this theory, using the evidence from Harlow, Schaffer & Emerson, and Lorenz that they have already learned. This reinforces evaluation skills by using knowledge from across topics.

Session 8 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: The Behaviourist Approach to Attachment
30 mins	Lecture & Diagram: Classical Conditioning and Attachment
30 mins	Lecture & Diagram: Operant Conditioning and Attachment
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Critiquing the Learning Theory
15 mins	Plenary: Summarising the case against "Cupboard Love"

Narrative Explanatory Content

8.1 The Behaviourist Perspective

The learning theory of attachment is a behaviourist explanation. Behaviourists believe that all behaviour, including attachment, is learned rather than innate. They focus on observable behaviours and the principles of conditioning. According to this perspective, infants are born as "blank slates" (tabula rasa) and learn to form attachments through their experiences of being fed. This is why it is often referred to as the "cupboard love" theory—it suggests that attachment is a consequence of the provision of food. The theory uses two main types of conditioning: classical and operant.

8.2 Classical Conditioning and Attachment

Classical conditioning explains attachment through association. The process begins with an innate stimulus-response link. Food is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) that produces an innate, unlearned response of pleasure (UCR). A caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus (NS), meaning they produce no response. However, because the caregiver is consistently present when the infant is fed, the infant learns to associate the caregiver with the food. Through repeated pairing, the caregiver becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS). Now, the caregiver's presence alone is enough to produce the response of pleasure (now a conditioned response, CR). This learned pleasure response is the basis of the attachment bond.

8.3 Operant Conditioning and Attachment

Operant conditioning explains attachment through reinforcement (rewards). This approach, based on the work of B.F. Skinner, argues that behaviours that produce pleasant consequences are likely to be repeated. When an infant is hungry, it is in an unpleasant drive state. Crying is a behaviour that leads to the caregiver providing food, which reduces the hunger drive and produces a feeling of pleasure. This acts as positive reinforcement for the infant, making them more likely to cry in the future to get what they want. The food is a primary reinforcer (it satisfies a biological need), and the caregiver becomes a secondary reinforcer through their association with the food. The infant therefore seeks to be close to the caregiver as they are a source of reward. The process is also reinforcing for the caregiver. The infant's crying is unpleasant, so when the caregiver feeds the baby and the crying stops, this acts as negative reinforcement for the caregiver, making them more likely to feed the baby when it cries. This mutual reinforcement strengthens the attachment bond.

8.4 Critical Evaluation of the Learning Theory

Despite its logical appeal, the learning theory of attachment is now largely discredited due to a wealth of contradictory evidence. It is an oversimplified explanation that ignores the complex emotional and cognitive factors involved in attachment.

• Contradictory Animal Research: Harlow's monkey study is the most powerful refutation. The monkeys attached to the cloth mother who provided comfort, not the wire mother who provided food. Lorenz's geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw, with no feeding involved. This shows that attachment is not primarily based on food.
• Contradictory Human Research: Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) Glasgow study found that many infants did not form their primary attachment with the person who fed them, but with the person who was most sensitively responsive and spent time interacting with them. This directly contradicts the learning theory.
• Reductionism: The learning theory is reductionist. It reduces the complex and emotional behaviour of attachment to a simple stimulus-response or reinforcement mechanism. It ignores internal cognitive processes and the emotional nature of the bond, which theories like Bowlby's address.
• Some Explanatory Power: While it cannot explain the primary formation of attachment, learning theory may still play a role. An infant may learn to associate a caregiver with comfort and security, and the attention and responsiveness they provide can be seen as a form of social reward. However, it is not the main explanation.

Tutor Guidance

This session introduces Social Learning Theory (SLT) as a more nuanced behaviourist explanation for attachment. The focus is on moving beyond direct reinforcement to include observational learning. Key concepts are modelling, imitation, and vicarious reinforcement. It's important to position SLT as a bridge between traditional behaviourism and more cognitive approaches. Use clear examples to show how a child might learn attachment behaviours by observing their parents or siblings. The main critique will be that while SLT can explain the *behaviours* of attachment, it struggles to explain the deep emotional *intensity* of the bond, which is better explained by evolutionary theories.

Session 9 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Beyond Direct Reinforcement
30 mins	Lecture: Principles of Social Learning Theory (Bandura)
30 mins	Application: How SLT Explains Attachment Behaviours
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Strengths and Weaknesses of SLT for Attachment
15 mins	Plenary: Comparing SLT with Conditioning and Evolutionary Theories

Narrative Explanatory Content

9.1 Moving Beyond Simple Conditioning

While classical and operant conditioning focus on direct learning through association and reinforcement, Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory (SLT) proposed a more indirect mechanism. SLT suggests that people, especially children, learn a great deal of their behaviour by observing and imitating others. This is a more active view of learning, where cognitive processes (thinking, paying attention, remembering) play a crucial role. SLT provides an alternative learning-based explanation for attachment that does not rely solely on food.

9.2 Key Concepts of Social Learning Theory

SLT proposes that attachment behaviours are learned through observation of role models. The key concepts are:

• Modelling: Parents act as models for attachment behaviour. A child observes how their parents show affection to each other (e.g., hugging, kissing, using kind words).
• Imitation: The child then imitates these observed behaviours. For example, a toddler might try to hug a parent or a sibling in the same way they have seen their parents hug.
• Vicarious Reinforcement: A child does not need to be directly rewarded to learn a behaviour. They can learn by observing others being rewarded. If a child sees their older sibling get praised for giving their mother a hug, the younger child is more likely to imitate that behaviour, anticipating a similar reward.

9.3 Applying SLT to Attachment Behaviours

According to SLT, parents teach their children to love them by modelling attachment behaviours. For example, parents will hug and kiss their infant, and instruct them to hug and kiss other family members. When the child performs these behaviours, they are rewarded with praise and affection (direct reinforcement). They also observe their parents showing affection to each other and see the positive consequences (vicarious reinforcement). This approach suggests that attachment is a set of behaviours learned through a socialisation process, rather than an innate biological drive or a simple response to food.

9.4 Evaluation of SLT as an Explanation for Attachment

SLT offers a more plausible explanation than traditional conditioning because it can account for how attachment behaviours are learned without relying on food. However, it still has significant limitations as a complete theory of attachment.

• Strengths: It can explain how specific attachment *behaviours* (like hugging or saying "I love you") are acquired. It also explains how cultural norms for expressing affection are transmitted from one generation to the next.
• Weakness - The Emotional Bond: SLT is based on the idea of learning behaviours. However, attachment is fundamentally an emotional bond. It struggles to explain the intense emotional distress infants experience upon separation from their attachment figure. This is better explained by an innate, evolutionary mechanism like that proposed by Bowlby.
• Weakness - Innate Behaviours: SLT cannot easily explain the innate behaviours found in newborns, such as social releasers (e.g., smiling) or the findings from Meltzoff and Moore on interactional synchrony. These suggest that infants are born with pre-programmed abilities to form bonds, not just a capacity to learn them.

Tutor Guidance

This session introduces Bowlby's full evolutionary theory, positioning it as a powerful and comprehensive alternative to the learning theories. The acronym ASCMI (Adaptive, Social Releasers, Critical Period, Monotropy, Internal Working Model) is a useful mnemonic device. This session will focus on the first three components: the evolutionary basis, social releasers, and the critical period. It's crucial to link these concepts back to Lorenz's work. Use evolutionary logic to explain *why* attachment is adaptive. The session should clearly establish Bowlby's theory as the dominant paradigm in attachment research.

Session 10 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Rejecting Learning Theory
30 mins	Lecture: An Evolutionary Perspective - Attachment as Adaptive (A)
30 mins	Lecture: Social Releasers (S) and the Critical Period (C)
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Identifying Social Releasers and their Function
15 mins	Plenary: Discussion on Monotropy and the IWM (to be covered next session)

Narrative Explanatory Content

10.1 A New Paradigm: Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory

John Bowlby (1969) proposed a revolutionary theory that rejected the idea that attachment was a learned behaviour. Drawing inspiration from ethology (Lorenz) and psychoanalysis, he argued that attachment is an innate, biological system that has evolved to ensure the survival of the infant. In our evolutionary past, infants who stayed close to their caregivers were protected from predators and had a greater chance of surviving to reproduce. Thus, attachment is an adaptive behaviour that is pre-programmed into our genes.

10.2 Attachment is Adaptive (A)

The core of Bowlby's theory is that attachment provides a survival advantage. A baby's tendency to stay close to a caregiver, especially when frightened or in an unfamiliar situation, is a protective mechanism. This proximity-seeking behaviour ensures the infant is fed, kept warm, and safe from harm. This evolutionary perspective explains why attachments are universal across all human cultures and why they are so emotionally intense—they are a matter of life and death from a biological standpoint.

10.3 Social Releasers (S) and the Critical Period (C)

Bowlby argued that babies are born with a set of innate "cute" behaviours called social releasers. These include smiling, cooing, gripping, and having big eyes and a rounded face. Their purpose is to activate the adult attachment system, making adults want to care for the infant. This makes attachment a reciprocal process. Influenced by Lorenz, Bowlby also proposed a critical period for attachment, which he suggested was around the first 2.5 years of life. He later softened this to a "sensitive period," acknowledging that while this is the optimal time for an attachment to form, it is not impossible for one to form later, though it would be much more difficult.

10.4 Monotropy (M) and the Internal Working Model (I)

Two other crucial components of Bowlby's theory are Monotropy and the Internal Working Model. Monotropy is the idea that infants form one special, primary attachment that is qualitatively different from all others. This monotropic bond, usually with the mother, forms the foundation of the child's emotional life. The Internal Working Model (IWM) is a mental template for all future relationships, based on this first attachment. A secure and loving first relationship leads to an IWM where the child expects all relationships to be trustworthy and positive. These two concepts are so important that they will be the focus of the next session.

Tutor Guidance

This session is a deep dive into what is arguably Bowlby's most significant contribution: the Internal Working Model (IWM). The goal is to ensure students understand that the IWM is a cognitive framework—a schema for relationships—that links early attachment experiences to later life outcomes. Use a flowchart to visually represent this causal chain. Connect the IWM to the concept of the continuity hypothesis. Use case studies or real-world examples to illustrate how different early experiences (secure vs. insecure) can lead to different IWMs and, consequently, different adult relationship styles. This session lays the groundwork for understanding the long-term consequences of attachment, which is central to the summative essay.

Session 11 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Recap of Bowlby's Theory & Introduction to the IWM
35 mins	Lecture: The Internal Working Model as a Relationship Template
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Creating IWM Case Studies
25 mins	Discussion: The IWM and Future Parenting
15 mins	Plenary: The Continuity Hypothesis and its Implications

Narrative Explanatory Content

11.1 The Internal Working Model: A Blueprint for Relationships

The Internal Working Model (IWM) is a cognitive framework comprising mental representations for understanding the world, the self, and others. Bowlby proposed that an infant';s first relationship with their primary attachment figure leads to the formation of an IWM of relationships. This model acts as a template for all future relationships. It's a set of expectations about the availability of attachment figures, the likelihood of them providing support during times of stress, and the self's interaction with those figures. In essence, the IWM is a schema for what relationships are supposed to be like.

11.2 The Formation of the IWM

The IWM is formed based on the quality of the primary attachment. A child whose caregiver is sensitive, responsive, and reliable will develop a positive IWM. This model includes a view of the self as worthy of love and a view of others as trustworthy and helpful. Conversely, a child whose caregiver is rejecting, inconsistent, or neglectful will develop a negative IWM. This model includes a view of the self as unworthy and a view of others as unreliable and rejecting. This IWM then guides the child's expectations and behaviours in subsequent relationships.

11.3 The IWM and Future Relationships

The IWM has a powerful influence on a child's future relationships, including friendships and, later, romantic partnerships. A child with a positive IWM will seek out and form functional relationships, behaving in a way that is trusting and open. A child with a negative IWM may struggle to form close relationships, or they may recreate the unhealthy patterns of their first relationship (e.g., being overly clingy or emotionally distant). This is because the IWM is self-perpetuating; it leads people to recreate and reinterpret relationship experiences in line with their existing expectations.

11.4 The IWM and Parenting

Bowlby argued that the IWM also affects a person';s ability to parent their own children. People tend to base their parenting style on their own experiences of being parented. A person with a positive IWM is likely to replicate the sensitive and responsive parenting they received, allowing them to form a secure attachment with their own child. This explains how attachment styles can be passed down through generations. The continuity between early attachment experiences and later relationships is known as the continuity hypothesis.

Tutor Guidance

This session focuses on the empirical evidence for the continuity hypothesis—the idea that early attachment styles predict the nature of later relationships. The key study to focus on is Hazan and Shaver';s "Love Quiz." The goal is to explain the study's methodology, findings, and, crucially, its limitations. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss research methods concepts like self-report, volunteer sampling, and correlation vs. causation. The session should conclude by reinforcing that while there is a link between early and later attachment, it is not a deterministic one; other life experiences also play a significant role.

Session 12 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: The Continuity Hypothesis
30 mins	Lecture: Hazan and Shaver's (1987) "Love Quiz" Study
30 mins	Analysis of Findings: Linking Infant and Adult Attachment Styles
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Critiquing the "Love Quiz" Methodology
15 mins	Plenary: Is the Continuity Hypothesis Too Deterministic?

Narrative Explanatory Content

12.1 The Continuity Hypothesis

The continuity hypothesis, a direct extension of Bowlby's Internal Working Model, proposes that there is a clear link between an individual's early attachment style and their later relationships in adulthood. A securely attached infant is expected to grow into an adult who can form trusting and lasting relationships. Conversely, an insecurely attached infant is likely to experience difficulties in their adult relationships, such as being too emotionally close and controlling (insecure-resistant) or being too distant and emotionally unavailable (insecure-avoidant). This hypothesis has been the subject of extensive research.

12.2 Hazan and Shaver's (1987) "Love Quiz"

Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver conducted a classic study to test the continuity hypothesis. They devised a "Love Quiz" which they printed in a local American newspaper. The quiz had two parts. The first part assessed the respondent's current or most important relationship. The second part assessed their general love experiences and asked them to choose which of three statements best described their feelings and experiences in relationships. These three statements were designed to correspond to the three attachment types identified by Ainsworth: secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant.

12.3 Findings of the "Love Quiz"

Hazan and Shaver analysed the first 620 replies from people aged 14 to 82. They found a strong correlation between the infant attachment types and the adult romantic love styles:

• Secure Types (56%): Reported happy, friendly, and trusting love experiences. Their relationships tended to be more enduring.
• Insecure-Avoidant Types (25%): Reported jealousy and fear of intimacy.
• Insecure-Resistant Types (19%): Experienced love as an obsession, with emotional highs and lows, and a desire for reciprocation that was often unfulfilled.

These findings provided the first major empirical support for the continuity hypothesis and the idea that the Internal Working Model has a lasting influence.

12.4 Evaluating the Research

While influential, Hazan and Shaver's study has several methodological weaknesses that mean we must be cautious in our conclusions:

• Self-Report Data: The study relies on questionnaires. People's memories of their early childhood may be inaccurate (retrospective data). Also, people may not be honest in their answers, perhaps presenting themselves in a more positive light (social desirability bias).
• Correlational Findings: The study found a correlation, not a cause. It does not prove that early attachment *causes* later relationship styles. Other factors, such as a person's innate temperament, could affect both.
• Volunteer Sample: The respondents were self-selecting volunteers who chose to reply to a newspaper ad. This type of sample may not be representative of the general population.
• Deterministic View: The continuity hypothesis can be seen as overly deterministic. It suggests that early experiences have a fixed effect on our adult lives. Other research suggests that later positive experiences (e.g., a good friendship or a supportive romantic partner) can help individuals revise their IWM and develop an "earned secure" attachment style.

Tutor Guidance

This session focuses on Bowlby's influential but controversial Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis. The key is to clearly distinguish between separation and deprivation. Explain the hypothesis: that prolonged separation from the primary caregiver during the critical period can cause irreversible long-term damage. Use Bowlby's own 44 Thieves Study as the primary case study. It's crucial to guide students through a critical evaluation of this study, focusing on its methodological flaws (e.g., researcher bias, correlational data). The session should also touch on the PDD model (Protest, Despair, Detachment) as an observable consequence of separation.

Session 13 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Separation vs. Deprivation
30 mins	Lecture: The Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis
30 mins	Case Study: Bowlby's (1944) 44 Juvenile Thieves Study
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Critiquing the 44 Thieves Study
15 mins	Discussion: The PDD Model and Short-Term Separation

Narrative Explanatory Content

13.1 Separation vs. Deprivation

It's important to distinguish between two key terms. Separation simply means the child is not in the presence of the primary attachment figure. This is common and not necessarily harmful if it is for short periods and in the presence of a substitute caregiver. Deprivation, however, means the child loses an element of the caregiver's emotional care. This becomes a problem if the separation is prolonged, and the child is deprived of this care, especially during the critical period and with no substitute care available.

13.2 The Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

In 1951, John Bowlby proposed his famous Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis. He argued that "mother-love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health." His hypothesis stated that continuous, warm, and intimate care from a mother (or permanent mother-substitute) is essential for normal psychological development. Being separated from the mother and deprived of this care during the critical period (the first 2.5 years) would lead to irreversible and damaging long-term consequences. He identified two main areas of damage: Intellectual Development (abnormally low IQ) and Emotional Development (leading to a condition he called Affectionless Psychopathy).

13.3 Bowlby's (1944) 44 Juvenile Thieves Study

To support his hypothesis, Bowlby conducted a study on a group of adolescents at the child guidance clinic where he worked. The sample consisted of 44 teenagers accused of stealing (the "thieves") and a control group of 44 non-criminal but emotionally disturbed teenagers. Bowlby interviewed the children and their families to build a record of their early life experiences. He found that 14 of the 44 thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths (lacking affection, guilt, and empathy). Of these 14, 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers in the first two years of life. In contrast, only 5 of the remaining 30 thieves had experienced such separations. In the control group, only 2 of the 44 had experienced long separations. Bowlby concluded that early maternal deprivation was directly linked to affectionless psychopathy and criminal behaviour.

13.4 Evaluating the Hypothesis and the Study

Bowlby's hypothesis was highly influential but is now considered flawed. The evidence he used has been heavily criticised. The 44 Thieves study had major methodological issues: Bowlby himself conducted the assessments for affectionless psychopathy and the interviews with the families, knowing which teenagers he expected to show signs of the condition. This creates a high risk of researcher bias. The data was also correlational, meaning it only showed a link between separation and psychopathy, not that one caused the other. Other factors, such as family conflict or poverty, could have caused both the separation and the later behavioural problems. Furthermore, later research (e.g., Lewis, 1954) failed to replicate his findings. While the idea that early experiences are important is valid, Bowlby's conclusion that deprivation is irreversible and inevitably leads to psychopathy is now seen as too simplistic and deterministic.

Tutor Guidance

This session focuses on the effects of institutionalisation, using the Romanian orphan studies as a powerful case study. The first goal is to clearly define and differentiate privation (never forming an attachment) from deprivation (losing an attachment). The main focus will be on Rutter's English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) study. Explain the study's quasi-experimental design and its key findings regarding the "dose-dependent" effect of institutionalisation. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss the concept of a sensitive period and the potential for recovery. The ethical implications and real-world applications of this research are also crucial discussion points.

Session 14 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Privation vs. Deprivation and the Romanian Context
30 mins	Lecture: Rutter's ERA Study - Procedure and Key Findings
30 mins	Analysis: The Effects of Institutionalisation (Disinhibited Attachment, etc.)
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Evaluating the Romanian Orphan Studies
15 mins	Plenary: Real-World Applications and the Importance of Early Intervention

Narrative Explanatory Content

14.1 Privation: A Failure to Form Attachment

Michael Rutter (1981) made a crucial distinction that Bowlby had overlooked. Deprivation refers to the loss of or damage to an existing attachment. Privation refers to the complete failure to form any attachment in the first place. Rutter argued that the severe long-term damage Bowlby associated with "deprivation" was more likely the result of privation. The unique and tragic situation of Romanian orphanages in the late 1980s and 1990s provided a natural experiment to study the effects of privation.

14.2 Rutter's English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) Study

Rutter et al. (2011) have followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain to test to what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions. The physical, cognitive, and emotional development of the adoptees has been assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, and 15. A group of 52 British children adopted around the same time have served as a control group. The key finding was that recovery was possible, but its extent depended on the age of adoption. The mean IQ of those adopted before the age of 6 months was 102, compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 years, and 77 for those adopted after 2 years. This "dose-dependent" effect suggests that the longer a child experiences privation, the more severe the long-term consequences.

14.3 The Effects of Institutionalisation

The Romanian orphan studies have identified a distinct pattern of behaviour associated with institutionalisation and privation:

• Disinhibited Attachment: This is a typical effect of spending time in an institution. These children are equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well and complete strangers. This is highly unusual behaviour and is thought to be an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment.
• Intellectual Disability: In Rutter's study, most children showed signs of intellectual disability when they arrived in Britain. However, most of those adopted before 6 months caught up with the control group by age four. This suggests that, like emotional development, intellectual development can be recovered if an attachment is formed during the sensitive period.

14.4 Evaluating the Romanian Orphan Studies

These studies have provided invaluable insights into the effects of privation, but they also have limitations.

• Real-World Application: The research has led to profound improvements in the way children are cared for in institutions. For example, orphanages now avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child and instead assign a "key worker" to a small group of children to allow them to form normal attachments.
• Fewer Confounding Variables: Previous orphan studies often involved children who had experienced loss or trauma before they were institutionalised. The Romanian orphans, in contrast, had mostly been handed over by loving parents who could not afford to keep them. This means the findings have higher internal validity as the effects can be more confidently attributed to institutionalisation itself.
• Generalisability Issues: The conditions in the Romanian orphanages were exceptionally poor, with a lack of intellectual stimulation and malnourishment as well as a lack of emotional care. It is possible that the developmental deficits were a result of this combination of factors, not just the failure to form an attachment. The findings may not be generalisable to all institutional care.

Tutor Guidance

This session introduces the 'Strange Situation';, one of the most famous and influential procedures in developmental psychology. The primary goal is to ensure students understand the methodology: it is a controlled observation designed to assess the quality of an infant's attachment. Go through the eight episodes step-by-step, explaining the purpose of each one. It is crucial to detail the four key behaviours being observed (exploration/secure base, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour). Use video clips of the procedure to make it tangible. The session should set the stage for the next lesson, which will detail the attachment types identified through this procedure.

Session 15 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Measuring the Quality of Attachment
30 mins	Lecture: The ';Strange Situation' Procedure (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970)
30 mins	Analysis: The Four Key Behaviours Observed
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Predicting Infant Behaviour in Each Episode
15 mins	Plenary: Evaluating the Methodology (Controlled Observation)

Narrative Explanatory Content

15.1 The Need to Measure Attachment Quality

While Bowlby's theory explained *why* attachment forms, Mary Ainsworth's work focused on *how* it varies in quality. She wanted to develop a method to objectively measure the differences in attachment security between infants. Based on her naturalistic observations in Uganda and Baltimore, she developed the 'Strange Situation' (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970), a controlled observation procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a child displays towards a caregiver.

15.2 The 'Strange Situation' Procedure

The procedure takes place in a laboratory playroom with a two-way mirror, allowing researchers to observe unobtrusively. It consists of eight scripted episodes, each lasting about three minutes. The procedure is designed to create mild stress for the infant by introducing a stranger and having the caregiver leave the room. The infant's reactions to these stressors reveal their attachment style.

15.3 The Four Key Behaviours Observed

Ainsworth and her team systematically recorded the infant';s behaviour, focusing on four key indicators of attachment quality:

• Proximity Seeking and Exploration: A securely attached infant should feel confident to explore the room but use their caregiver as a secure base, returning to them periodically.
• Stranger Anxiety: A sign of a close attachment is showing anxiety and wariness towards the stranger.
• Separation Anxiety: A securely attached infant will show protest and distress when their caregiver leaves.
• Reunion Behaviour: The infant's response when the caregiver returns is a crucial indicator. A secure infant will greet the caregiver positively and be easily soothed.

15.4 Evaluating the Methodology

The Strange Situation has been a highly influential research tool, but it is not without its critics.

• Strengths: It is a highly controlled procedure with good inter-rater reliability. The standardised episodes allow for direct comparisons between infants. Its findings have been replicated in many different studies.
• Weaknesses (Ecological Validity): The laboratory setting is artificial and may cause infants and caregivers to behave differently than they would at home. This means the findings may lack ecological validity.
• Weaknesses (Ethical Issues): The procedure deliberately causes mild distress to the infant. While this is temporary, it raises ethical concerns about psychological harm.
• Weaknesses (Cultural Bias): The procedure was developed in the USA and reflects Western parenting norms. It may not be a valid measure of attachment in other cultures, a point we will explore in a later session.

Tutor Guidance

This session builds directly on the last one, detailing the three main attachment types that Ainsworth identified from the Strange Situation. The goal is for students to be able to describe the specific behaviours associated with each type (Secure, Insecure-Avoidant, Insecure-Resistant) across the four key observation criteria. A comparison table is an excellent visual aid for this. It's also crucial to link these attachment types to the caregiver's sensitivity, introducing the Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis. This provides an explanation for *why* these different attachment styles develop. Conclude by briefly mentioning the later addition of a fourth type (disorganised) to show that the theory has evolved.

Session 16 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Recap of the Strange Situation & Introduction to Attachment Types
25 mins	Lecture: Secure Attachment (Type B)
30 mins	Lecture: The Insecure Attachments (Type A and Type C)
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Case Study Identification
20 mins	Discussion: The Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis

Narrative Explanatory Content

16.1 Identifying Patterns of Attachment

Based on her observations in the Strange Situation, Ainsworth identified three distinct patterns of attachment. Each type is characterised by a different set of behaviours regarding exploration, separation, stranger anxiety, and reunion. These types are thought to reflect the quality of the infant-caregiver relationship.

16.2 Secure Attachment (Type B)

This is the most common and healthiest attachment type, found in about 60-75% of British toddlers in Ainsworth's original research. Securely attached infants explore happily but regularly go back to their caregiver (secure base). They show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. Crucially, they require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage and are easily soothed. This type of attachment is associated with caregivers who are sensitive and responsive to the infant's needs.

16.3 Insecure-Avoidant Attachment (Type A)

This type was found in about 20-25% of the toddlers. These infants explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour. They show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety. They also make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns and may even avoid such contact. This attachment type is associated with caregivers who are often unavailable or rejecting, and who may discourage crying and encourage premature independence.

16.4 Insecure-Resistant Attachment (Type C)

This type was found in about 3% of the toddlers. These infants seek greater proximity than others and so explore less. They show huge stranger and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with their caregiver. They may even show anger, pushing the caregiver away. This ambivalent behaviour is why it is called "resistant." This attachment type is associated with caregivers who are inconsistent in their responses to the infant—sometimes responsive, sometimes ignoring them.

16.5 The Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis

Ainsworth didn't just categorise the infants; she also proposed an explanation for why these differences exist. Her Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis suggests that a mother's behaviour towards her infant is the primary determinant of attachment style. Sensitive, responsive mothers who correctly interpret their infant's signals and respond appropriately tend to have securely attached babies. Mothers who are rejecting or unavailable tend to have insecure-avoidant babies, and mothers who are inconsistent in their care tend to have insecure-resistant babies. This places the emphasis firmly on the caregiver's behaviour (nurture) as the cause of attachment quality.

Tutor Guidance

This session explores the universality of attachment theory by examining cross-cultural research. The key study is Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg's meta-analysis. The goal is to present their findings, which show both similarities (secure attachment is always the most common) and striking differences in the prevalence of insecure types. Use a world map or chart to visually represent the data. This session is crucial for developing students' critical thinking about cultural bias in psychology. Guide them to understand that these variations are likely due to different child-rearing practices, and that the 'Strange Situation' itself may be an ethnocentric tool.

Session 17 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction: Is Attachment Universal?
30 mins	Lecture: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg's (1988) Meta-Analysis
30 mins	Analysis of Findings: Similarities and Differences Across Cultures
30 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Explaining the Variations
15 mins	Plenary: The Issue of Imposed Etic and Cultural Bias

Narrative Explanatory Content

17.1 The Question of Universality

Bowlby's evolutionary theory claims that attachment is an innate and universal human trait, necessary for survival. If this is true, we should expect to see similar attachment patterns across all cultures. However, since child-rearing practices vary significantly around the world, it is also possible that attachment styles are culturally specific. Cross-cultural research aims to investigate this question by comparing attachment patterns in different countries.

17.2 Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg's (1988) Meta-Analysis

To investigate this, Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg conducted a large-scale meta-analysis. This is not a single study, but a statistical analysis of the results of many different studies. They located 32 studies of attachment where the Strange Situation had been used to investigate the proportions of infants with different attachment types. These 32 studies were conducted in 8 different countries and involved over 2000 children. This allowed them to look for overall patterns in the data.

17.3 Findings: Similarities and Differences

The findings were revealing:

• Universal Similarity: In all countries, secure attachment was the most common classification. This supports Bowlby's view that attachment is innate and universal.
• Cultural Differences: Despite this, the proportions of insecure attachments varied significantly. In Western cultures like Germany, insecure-avoidant was the dominant insecure type. In non-Western cultures like Japan and Israel, insecure-resistant was the dominant insecure type.
• Intra-cultural Variation: The variations within countries were actually 1.5 times greater than the variations between countries. For example, in one US study, 46% were securely attached, while in another, the figure was 90%.

17.4 Explaining the Variations: The Role of Child-Rearing

The cultural differences observed are likely linked to different parenting styles. For example, German culture places a high value on independence, so parents may discourage proximity-seeking behaviour, leading to children being classified as insecure-avoidant. In Japan, mothers and infants are rarely separated, so the Strange Situation is highly stressful for them, leading to high levels of separation anxiety and a classification of insecure-resistant. This suggests that attachment styles are not innate but are a product of cultural norms.

Tutor Guidance

This session is a capstone for the theoretical part of the module, designed to consolidate students' critical evaluation skills before the assignment workshops. The goal is to review the major debates and methodological issues that have run through the previous sessions. Focus on key themes: the validity of the Strange Situation, the temperament hypothesis as an alternative explanation, the issue of correlation vs. causation, and the deterministic nature of some theories. This is a revision and synthesis session. Use it to explicitly model how to construct an evaluative argument for an essay, linking different pieces of evidence together to form a coherent critique.

Session 18 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
20 mins	Debate 1: Is the Strange Situation a Valid Measure?
30 mins	Debate 2: The Temperament Hypothesis - An Alternative Explanation
30 mins	Debate 3: Correlation vs. Causation in Attachment Research
25 mins	Breakout Room Activity: Constructing an Evaluation Paragraph
15 mins	Plenary: The Dangers of Determinism and Looking Ahead to Assignments

Narrative Explanatory Content

18.1 Is the Strange Situation Measuring Attachment?

A major debate centres on the validity of the Strange Situation. Does it actually measure the quality of a child's attachment relationship, or is it just measuring how the child reacts to an unusual environment? Kagan (1982) argued that the procedure is simply measuring the child's innate temperament (their genetically influenced personality). A child with a naturally anxious temperament might be classified as insecure-resistant, while a bolder, more independent child might be classified as insecure-avoidant, regardless of their mother's sensitivity. This temperament hypothesis is a major challenge to Ainsworth's Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis.

18.2 The Issue of Correlation vs. Causation

Much of the research that links attachment style to later outcomes (e.g., Hazan and Shaver's Love Quiz) is correlational. This means it shows a relationship between two variables, but it cannot prove that one causes the other. For example, a third factor, such as the child's temperament or the family's socioeconomic status, could be responsible for both the infant's attachment style and their later relationship success. This is a fundamental limitation of much of the research supporting the continuity hypothesis.

18.3 The Dangers of Determinism

Theories like Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis and the Continuity Hypothesis can be seen as overly deterministic. They suggest that our early experiences lock us into a path from which it is difficult to escape. This has serious implications, as it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy and cause undue anxiety for parents. Modern attachment researchers take a more probabilistic view. While early attachment is highly influential, it is not destiny. Later life events, such as positive school experiences, supportive friendships, and loving romantic partnerships, can all help an individual to revise their Internal Working Model and develop an "earned secure" attachment.

18.4 Synthesising the Debates

A strong evaluation of attachment theory requires synthesising these different points. For example, the cultural variations found by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg can be used to question the validity of the Strange Situation as a universal tool. The temperament hypothesis challenges the core assumption of Ainsworth's work. The correlational nature of much of the research weakens the claims of the continuity hypothesis. A sophisticated understanding of attachment acknowledges the powerful insights of the theories while also recognising their limitations and the complex interplay of nature, nurture, and later life experiences.

Tutor Guidance

This session is entirely dedicated to deconstructing the formative assignment. The goal is not to give students the answers, but to equip them with the structure, knowledge, and critical thinking skills to produce a high-quality essay. Use a step-by-step approach, breaking down each part of the question. Emphasise the importance of structure, critical analysis (the 'issues'), and correct referencing. The interactive activities should be focused on practical application, such as drafting a thesis statement or outlining a paragraph. Remind students that this is a formative piece designed to provide feedback for the more heavily weighted summative assignment.

Session 19 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Session Introduction & Deconstruction of the Assignment Question
30 mins	Lecture/Workshop: How to Structure the Essay (Intro, Body, Conclusion)
20 mins	Breakout Activity: Deconstructing a Sample Paragraph
30 mins	Workshop: Achieving a Distinction - Moving from Description to Critical Analysis
15 mins	Live Group Activity: Writing a Thesis Statement
10 mins	Academic Integrity, Formatting, and Referencing Quiz

Narrative Explanatory Content

19.1 Deconstructing the Assignment Question

The first step to a successful essay is to fully understand what the question is asking. Let's break down the formative assignment task.

This is a multi-faceted question. It is not just a description of the stages. It requires analysis, linkage between different topics from the module, and comparison. A common mistake is to only describe the stages without addressing the other bullet points. A strong essay will integrate all these components into a coherent argument.

19.2 Structuring Your Essay for Success

A well-structured essay is easier to write and easier to read. For a 600-700 word essay, a clear and concise structure is essential. Consider the following framework:

• Introduction (approx. 75 words):
  • Briefly introduce the concept of attachment as a developmental process.
  • State the essay's purpose: to explore Schaffer and Emerson's stages of attachment.
  • Outline the key points you will cover: linking to learning theory, caregiver-infant interactions, and comparisons with animal studies. This acts as a 'roadmap' for your reader.
• Main Body Paragraph 1: Early Stages & Foundational Concepts (approx. 200 words):
  • Define reciprocity and interactional synchrony as the foundation for attachment.
  • Introduce Schaffer and Emerson's first two stages: the Asocial Stage and the Indiscriminate Attachment Stage.
  • Explain their significance (e.g., learning the 'rules' of interaction).
  • Address a critical issue, for example, the difficulty of studying behaviour in the Asocial stage as infants are largely immobile.
• Main Body Paragraph 2: Specific & Multiple Attachments (approx. 200 words):
  • Describe the Specific Attachment Stage and the Multiple Attachments Stage.
  • Explain their significance (e.g., the formation of a secure base and the importance of a wider social network).
  • Address a critical issue, for example, how the concept of multiple attachments challenges Bowlby's idea of monotropy.
• Main Body Paragraph 3: Theoretical Links & Comparisons (approx. 150 words):
  • Explicitly link the learning theory ('cupboard love') to the stages. How might a behaviourist explain the move from indiscriminate to specific attachment? (e.g., the primary caregiver becomes the strongest conditioned stimulus).
  • Briefly compare human and animal attachment. Contrast the relatively slow, staged process in humans with the rapid imprinting seen in Lorenz's geese. Mention how Harlow's findings on contact comfort are more applicable to the human need for security seen in the specific attachment stage.
• Conclusion (approx. 75 words):
  • Summarise the key points about the stages of attachment.
  • Reiterate that attachment is a complex process influenced by both innate factors and interactions, not just feeding.
  • Offer a final concluding thought on the value of a staged model for understanding development.

19.3 Achieving a 'Distinction' Grade: Moving from Description to Analysis

To achieve a higher grade (Distinguished, 80+), you must go beyond simply describing the theories. The marking rubric rewards ";extensive evaluation and synthesis of ideas" and "substantial original thinking." Here’s how to do it:

19.4 Academic Writing and Referencing

Professional presentation is key. Adhere strictly to the formatting guidelines. Your work must be academically rigorous.

• Word Count: Stay within the 600-700 word limit (+/- 10%). This requires you to be concise and precise in your language.
• Justified Alignment: This creates a clean, block-like text appearance. It is a standard requirement for formal academic documents.
• Referencing: Harvard style is recommended. This involves in-text citations (e.g., Smith, 2020) and a full reference list at the end. Every claim or piece of information that is not your own original thought must be cited. Failure to do so is plagiarism.

Tutor Guidance

This final session is dedicated to the summative assignment, which requires a much deeper and more sustained argument than the formative piece. The key is to guide students in formulating a strong thesis and using evidence from across the module to support it. Focus on the higher-level skills required: analysing long-term consequences, evaluating cultural differences, and critically appraising research studies. Use the provided marking rubric for 'Distinction' as a roadmap for excellence. The activities should be practical, helping students to plan their argument and select appropriate research to analyse.

Session 20 Timings (120 Minutes)

Duration	Activity
15 mins	Introduction & Detailed Deconstruction of the Summative Question
20 mins	Workshop: Developing a Strong Thesis Statement & Breakout Room Clinic
30 mins	Workshop: Structuring a 2000-word Essay & Group Outline Activity
30 mins	Workshop: How to Critically Analyse a Research Study (Strengths/Weaknesses)
15 mins	Brainstorming Activity: Selecting Appropriate Research Studies
10 mins	Final Q&A, Referencing Reminder, and Submission Guidance

Narrative Explanatory Content

20.1 Deconstructing the Summative Assignment Question

The summative assignment requires a comprehensive, evidence-based response to a complex question. It assesses your understanding of the entire module. Let's break it down.

The core of this question is about long-term consequences. You need to build an argument (a thesis) about how and why early attachment issues have lasting effects. This involves drawing on concepts like Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis, the Internal Working Model, and research like the Romanian orphan studies.

20.2 Developing a Strong Thesis and Essay Structure

A 2000-word essay needs a strong, clear thesis to guide the entire piece. Your thesis is your main argument, the answer you will prove throughout the essay.

Example Thesis Statement: "While early attachment disruptions can lead to significant long-term developmental challenges in social and emotional functioning, as predicted by Bowlby's Internal Working Model, the manifestation of these issues is not deterministic and is significantly mediated by individual resilience and cultural context."

This thesis acknowledges the problems but also introduces the nuance required by the question (individual/cultural differences). A suggested structure:

• Introduction (approx. 200 words): Introduce the significance of early attachment. State your thesis. Outline the structure of your essay (e.g., you will explore the IWM, evidence from deprivation studies, the role of individual/cultural factors, and a critique of key research).
• The Theoretical Framework: The IWM and Maternal Deprivation (approx. 400 words):
  • Explain Bowlby's Internal Working Model as the primary mechanism through which early experiences have lasting effects.
  • Discuss his Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis and the predicted consequences (e.g., affectionless psychopathy, intellectual delay).
  • This section sets up the theoretical basis for your argument.
• Evidence from Deprivation and Institutionalisation (approx. 500 words):
  • This is where you analyse your first research study in detail. Rutter's English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) study is a perfect choice.
  • Describe the study: Aim, procedure, findings (e.g., disinhibited attachment, lower IQ if adopted after 6 months).
  • Analyse its strengths: Large sample, longitudinal, real-world application.
  • Analyse its weaknesses: Confounding variables (e.g., poor nutrition, not just lack of attachment), attrition over time.
  • Explain how this study supports the idea that early issues have long-term manifestations.
• Impact on Adult Relationships (approx. 500 words):
  • Discuss how the IWM affects later friendships and romantic relationships.
  • This is where you analyse your second research study. Hazan and Shaver's (1987) 'Love Quiz' is an excellent choice.
  • Describe the study: Aim, procedure (questionnaire in a newspaper), findings (correlation between early attachment type and adult relationship experiences).
  • Analyse its strengths: Influential, supported the IWM's predictions.
  • Analyse its weaknesses: Relied on retrospective self-report (memory may be inaccurate), correlational (doesn't prove causation), volunteer sample.
• Mediating Factors: Individual and Cultural Differences (approx. 400 words):
  • Address the "differences" part of the question. Argue against determinism.
  • Individual Differences: Discuss temperament. A baby with an 'easy' temperament might form a secure attachment even with less sensitive care. Resilience is key.
  • Cultural Differences: Use Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg's meta-analysis. Explain why attachment types vary (e.g., high insecure-avoidant in Germany due to emphasis on independence; high insecure-resistant in Japan due to high levels of infant-mother proximity). This shows that what constitutes a 'problem' can be culturally relative.
• Conclusion (approx. 200 words): Summarise your argument. Reiterate your thesis. Conclude that while early attachment is profoundly influential, development is a complex interplay of early experience, innate temperament, and cultural context.

20.3 How to Analyse a Research Study for a 'Distinction' Grade

The prompt requires you to "analyse the findings... noting the strengths and weaknesses of each study." This is a core skill for achieving a high grade. Use the "PEEL" (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) structure for your analysis paragraphs.