Discuss one or more theories of attachment.

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 one or more theories of attachment.

Relevant theories may include, but are not limited to:

• Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment
• Ainsworth's theory of attachment styles
• Schaffer's theory of attachment stages
• Learning theory of attachment
• Kagan's temperament theory of attachment.

Relevant research studies may include, but are not limited to:

• Rutter et al.'s (2004) study on attachment disorder
• Cockett and Tripp's (1994) study on long-term attachment deprivation effects
• Ainsworth et al.'s (1978) Ainsworth's (1969) cross-cultural studies
• Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) study on stages of attachment
• Hodges and Tizard's (1989) study on the effect of early institutionalisation
• Pederson et al.'s (1990); Main's (1981) studies on the mother's behaviour and secure attachment
• Blehar et al.'s (1977) study investigating how early mother-infant play predicts attachment patterns
• Hamilton's (2000) longitudinal study examining if attachment security is stable throughout childhood and adolescence
• Hazan and Shaver’s (1987) study on continuity in attachment patterns in romantic love.

Discussion may include, but is not limited to:

• methodological and ethical considerations related to the research into attachment
• how the findings of research have been interpreted and applied
• the accuracy and clarity of the concepts
• implication of the findings
• assumptions and biases
• areas of uncertainty
• supporting and/or contradictory evidence
• alternative theories/explanations.

Responses referring to research of animals, such as Harlow’s study of rhesus monkeys should 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 [3] for criterion C: use of research to support the answer. All remaining criteria should be awarded marks according to the markbands independently, and could achieve up to full marks.

This was a popular choice within the option. Occasionally examiners reported reading quite inspiring responses indicative of good teaching. Such responses tended to focus on Bowlby's evolutionary theory of attachment and/or on Ainsworth's theory of attachment styles with evidence of well-selected studies that were focused on the question. However, some responses to this question provided studies on attachment with minimal explanation of the concept of attachment, or focused on Harlow's study of rhesus monkeys without linking the findings to attachment in humans.