Discuss the role of attachment in development.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “discuss” requires candidates to offer a considered review of the role of attachment in development. Candidates may address the role of attachment in childhood and/or in any later stage of life.

Relevant research may include, but is not limited to:

• Bowlby’s research (various dates) on how maternal deprivation can affect an individual
• Ainsworth et al.’s (1978) studies showing how different types of attachment influence a child’s attachment pattern
• Van Ijzendorn and Kroonenberg’s (1988) study on how cross-cultural patterns of attachment influence development
• Pratt and Norris (1994) – positive attachment in early relationships leads to positive reports on current social relationships
• Hazan and Shaver (1987) – similarities between romantic love as experienced by adults and the characteristics of attachment
• Rossi and Rossi (1990) – people who grew up in cohesive families tended to establish positive relationships with their own partners
• Sternberg and Beall (1991) – many adults find that their relationships vary: with one partner, they experience an insecure bond, but with the next a secure one.

Discussion may include, but is not limited to:

• cultural considerations
• the role of deprivation in attachment
• short-term versus long-term effects in attachment
• the type of bond can vary with different partners
• methodological considerations of the supporting studies.

Responses referring to research with animals, such as Harlow’s studies with rhesus monkeys, are relevant but must be linked to attachment in humans. Responses that do not explicitly make any link to human behaviour should be awarded up to a maximum of [2] for criterion D: critical thinking. All remaining criteria should be awarded marks according to the markbands independently, and could achieve up to full marks.

This was a rather popular question and usually well addressed. Candidates often referred to Bowlby’s research, Ainsworth et al.’s (1978) studies, Hazan and Shaver’s (1983) study and Rossi and Rossi’s (1990) study. Some candidates using animal research as evidence did not make a clear link between human and animal behaviour.