Harlow’s Study on Rhesus Monkeys
What was the main aim of Harlow’s (1958) study with Rhesus monkeys?
To investigate whether infant monkeys preferred comfort and security over food.
How does Bowlby define attachment?
A strong emotional bond that connects an infant to their primary caregiver (main attachment figure) across time and space.
What was the aim of Ainsworth’s (1978) study of the strange situation?
To observe attachment relationships between a caregiver and child.
Define an enriched environment.
An environment that provides ample opportunities for cognitive, social, and physical stimulation.
What is the internal working model according to Bowlby?
The internal working model is a mental representation of:
of the self,
of others,
and between self and others
Formed through early interactions with caregivers. It guides expectations and interactions in future relationships.
Describe the method used in Harlow’s study.
Harlow separated infant monkeys from their mothers and provided them with two surrogate mothers:
one made of wire that provided food and
one made of cloth that provided comfort.
What is Bowlby’s understanding of the evolutionary perspective on attachment?
Attachment behaviours are innate (present from birth) and have evolved because they increase the chances of survival by keeping the infant close to the caregiver.
How do van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s (1988) findings apply to Ainsworth’s attachment types?
Their findings showed that attachment types vary across cultures.
Secure attachment being the most common but variations in the prevalence of insecure attachment types.
Define a deprived environment.
An environment that lacks adequate stimulation and opportunities for development.
How does the internal working model influence a child's future relationships?
The internal working model shapes how a child perceives and interacts with others, influencing their ability to form secure and healthy relationships throughout life.
What were the key findings of Harlow’s study?
The infant monkeys spent more time with the cloth mother, indicating a preference for comfort over food.
Define monotropy according to Bowlby.
The concept that infants form a primary attachment to one main caregiver, which is more important than all other attachments.
Evaluate the criticisms and limitations of Ainsworth’s study.
Criticisms include:
potential cultural bias / difficulty to generalise to wider population
psychological harm
Describe the context of the case study of Genie, the wild child.
Genie was a child who was severely neglected and isolated, discovered at the age of 13 with significant developmental delays.
Describe the three components of the internal working model as proposed by Bowlby.
How did Harlow’s study contribute to the field of psychology?
The study highlighted the importance of emotional bonds and comfort in attachment.
Differentiate between critical and sensitive periods in attachment formation according to Bowlby.
Critical periods are specific times during which an attachment MUST form.
Sensitive periods are OPTIMAL times for attachment formation but not exclusive.
Differentiate between Type A (insecure avoidant), Type B (secure), and Type C (insecure resistant) attachment.
Type A: avoids caregiver, shows little emotion when caregiver leaves or returns;
Type B: shows distress when caregiver leaves, happy when returns;
Type C: shows intense distress when caregiver leaves, ambivalent when returns.
Analyse the impact of deprived environments on Genie’s developmental domains.
Genie’s deprived environment led to severe deficits in language, social skills, and cognitive development.
How does a secure attachment in early childhood contribute to a positive internal working model?
A secure attachment provides a child with consistent and responsive caregiving, leading to a positive view of themselves, others, and the world.
This fosters confidence and healthy relationship patterns.
What are some criticisms or limitations of Harlow’s study?
Ethical concerns regarding the treatment of the monkeys and that the study can't be generalised to the human population.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of Bowlby’s attachment theory.
Strengths include the emphasis on the importance of early relationships for development.
Limitations include the potential overemphasis on the mother and lack of consideration for cultural variations which have multiple caregivers.
Outline the 8 steps of Ainsworth’s strange situation method.
Introduction to the room,
Caregiver and child alone,
Stranger enters,
Caregiver leaves,
Caregiver returns and stranger leaves,
Caregiver leaves child alone,
Stranger returns,
Caregiver returns and stranger leaves.
Analyse the impact of deprived environments on Genie’s neural plasticity.
Genie’s case showed limited neural plasticity, as she was unable to fully recover from the effects of her early deprivation despite later interventions.
What are the potential effects of an insecure attachment on the internal working model and subsequent behaviour?
Insecure attachment can lead to a negative internal working model, where the child may view themselves as unworthy, others as unreliable, and their future relationships (the world) as unsafe.
This can result in difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships, and may lead to anxiety, mistrust, and behavioural issues.