ATTACHMENT
Implications of research into
attachment and day care
INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCH

Improving the quality of day care
Understanding attachment processes can be applied to
improving the quality of day care.
E.g. The Soho Family Centre – this centre’s day care
programme is based on attachment theory, thus each
child is ensured close emotional relationships.
Evaluation
 Bowlby’s theory supports the usefulness of secondary
attachment figures in providing continuous emotional
care.
INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCH

Caring for children in hospital
Attachment research has been applied to situations
where children experience physical separation from
primary attachment figures.
E.g. visiting arrangements when children are in hospital
or in foster homes.
Evaluation
 Supported by the Robertsons’ research which showed
that any negative effects of emotional disruption could
be avoided if substitute emotional care was provided as
well as maintaining links with existing attachment
figures.
INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCH

Adoption
In the past, mothers who were going to give their baby up for
adoption were encouraged to nurse the baby for a significant
period of time. By the time the baby was adopted, the sensitive
period for attachment may have passed, making it difficult for the
baby to form secure attachments with their adoptive parents.
Today most babies are adopted within the first week of birth and
research shows that adoptive mothers and children are just as
securely-attached as non-adoptive families (Singer et al, 1985).
Evaluation

Studies on privation (Hodges and Tizard) have shown that a failure
to form attachment early in life can have LT consequences.
INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCH

Improving the quality of parenting
E.g. The ‘Circle of Security’ which helped caregivers learn to
respond more sensitively to their young children and therefore
promoted secure attachment.
Evaluation
 Research by Quinton et al (1984) found that poor parenting may
be related to parents’ own childhood experiences.
Quinton et al (1984) – compared a group of 50 women reared in
institutions (children’s homes) with a control group of 50 women
reared at home. When the women were in their 20s it was found
that ex-institutional women were experiencing extreme difficulties
acting as parents. E.g. they had children who had spent time in
care.
INFLUENCE OF DAY CARE RESEARCH
Importance of high quality day care
 To avoid potential negative consequences e.g. increased
aggression.
 Field et al (1991) found that the greatest benefits of day care on
peer relations were for those children in high-quality care.
 To maximise positive effects we need to maximise the quality of
care provided (i.e. sensitive care).
Evaluation
 High-quality care = ability to respond sensitively to a child’s
emotional needs.
 Bowlby and Ainsworth both suggested that healthy, secure
attachments are formed with adults who respond with the
greatest sensitivity to an infant’s behaviour.
INFLUENCE OF DAY CARE RESEARCH
Good staff-to-child ratios
The amount of children to each member of day care staff.
 NICHD study (1999) found that day care staff could only
provide sensitive, high-quality care if the ratios were as low
as 1:3.
 Even then, day care staff may be overwhelmed and unable
to offer consistent care.

INFLUENCE OF DAY CARE RESEARCH
Minimal staff turnover
How often day care staff are changed.
 Schaffer (1998) identified consistency of care as one of the
most important factors in good outcomes.
 When staff come and go children may either fail to form
attachments to the staff or, if they have already formed an
attachment, they suffer the anxiety associated with
disruption of attachment when the staff leave.

INFLUENCE OF DAY CARE RESEARCH
Qualified and experienced staff
Sylva et al (2003) - EPPE study – found that the quality of
care provided was positively correlated with the
qualification levels of the day care staff.
 The higher the qualifications of staff, the better the
outcomes in terms of social development of the children.

EVALUATION: INFLUENCE OF DAY CARE
RESEARCH
Good staff-to-child ratios, minimal staff turnover and
having qualified and experienced staff = related to
producing high-quality, sensitive care.
 In reality this may be where child care provision is failing.
 NICHD study (1999) – only 23% of infant care providers give
‘highly’ sensitive care.

INDEPENDENT TASKS
1)
2)
3)
Exam question in booklet.
Match the researcher to the study.
True or false?
Harlow (1959)
The ‘strange situation’
Bowlby (1969)
The effects of separation
Ainsworth et al (1978)
Deprivation dwarfism
Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
Isolated children – the Czech twins
Robertson and Robertson (1967-1973)
The effects of institutionalisation
Hodges and Tizard (1989)
Rutter et al (2007)
Contact comfort is more important than food
in attachment.
The link between day care and aggression
Gardner (1972)
Cross-cultural differences in attachment
Koluchova (1976)
Controlled study on institutionalisation and
privation
Evolutionary theory of attachment
NICHD study (1991)
Statement
True or false
Mary Ainsworth devised the ‘strange situation’ and
identified three attachment types.
True
Disruption of attachment is when the bond between an
infant and their caregiver is broken (e.g. separation).
True
Research has found that children in day care can be
more aggressive and have poor relationships with
adults.
Bowlby’s attachment theory is a learning theory and
involves situations to test stranger anxiety and
separation anxiety.
Genie is an example of privation as she failed to form a
bond with an attachment figure.
There is correlational evidence to support the link
between day care and aggression so we can conclude
that day care causes aggression in childhood.
False
False
True
False