AQA A-Level Psychology

Topic: Attachment

1. Caregiver-Infant Interactions
   Reciprocity
   Interactional synchrony
   Research examples: Meltzoff and Moore (1977), Tronick et al. (1979)

2. Stages of Attachment
   Schaffer’s stages: Asocial, Indiscriminate, Specific, Multiple
   Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

3. Animal Studies of Attachment
   Lorenz’s imprinting study
   Harlow’s research with rhesus monkeys
   Evaluation of animal studies

4. Explanations of Attachment
   Learning theory: classical and operant conditioning
   Bowlby’s monotropic theory
   Critical period
   Internal working model
   Social releasers

5. Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
   Procedure and methodology
   Types of attachment: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant
   Evaluation: validity, reliability, cultural context

6. Cultural Variations in Attachment
   Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988): meta-analysis
   Studies in different countries
   Evaluation of cross-cultural research

7. Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation
   Critical period
   Long-term consequences of deprivation
   Key study: Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study
   Evaluation of the theory and evidence

8. Romanian Orphan Studies: Effects of Institutionalisation
   Rutter’s ERA study (1998)
   Effects: disinhibited attachment, cognitive delay
   Evaluation: real-world application, methodology

9. Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships
   Role of the internal working model
   Childhood relationships
   Romantic relationships in adulthood
   Hazan and Shaver’s love quiz
   Evaluation: methodological issues, retrospective data