Prospectus

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Attachment, parenting and development: research and clinical implications

Course
2021-2022

Admission requirements

N.a.

Description

This course concerns the state of the art of attachment theory and research. It consists of lectures and workgroups. During the lectures, current research related to themes such as “attachment across the life span”, “cross-cultural patterns of attachment”, “biological, neural and genetic underpinnings of attachment” will be discussed.

Students will have the chance to get “a look behind the scenes” in studies that have recently been conducted (or are currently going on) at the Leiden Institute of Education and Child Studies. The Handbook of Attachment and recent articles that have been published in international scientific journals will be used. Students need to review and discuss some of these articles.

During the workgroups, students will learn about various instruments assessing attachment. Furthermore, students will develop a research proposal or a research/clinical tool. For the research proposal, students will aim to formulate an unanswered research question and define a series of possible hypotheses, and an adequate study design.

For the research/clinical tool, students will aim to design a feasible tool with a specific research or clinical/applied focus and will describe how to test the validity of their planned tool. The proposal is presented by means of a PowerPoint presentation.

The course is completed with an exam. The exam will cover topics that are discussed in the handbook and that have been presented or discussed during the lectures.

Course objectives

  • A thorough knowledge and understanding of attachment and life history theories based on the Handbook of Attachment, and of methodological approaches which are used in the papers

  • Developing a proposal, showing the capacity to apply various theoretical frameworks, and the ability of critically selecting, studying and analyzing literature relevant to the issue, collaborating with others

  • Reviewing recent papers and showing the ability to engage in the international academic debate as well as to consider practical implications

  • Orally presenting a proposal and defend it in a discussion

Timetable

For the timetable of this course please refer to MyTimetable

Mode of instruction

Lectures and seminars.

Assessment method

  • Quality and presentation of a proposal (20%)

  • Written exam (80%)

Brightspace

During this course Brightspace will be used.

Reading list

  • Cassidy, J. & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.), (2016). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: The Guilford Press, third edition.

  • Recent articles (links will be made available on Brightspace)

Registration

Education
It is mandatory to register for each course via uSis. This applies to both the lectures and the working groups, even if they take place online. Without a valid registration in uSis you will not be able to participate in the course and you will not have access to the Brightspace module of the course.

Exams
In addition, it is also mandatory to register separately in uSis for each exam (i.e. both the first exam opportunity and, if necessary, the resit) in uSis. This also applies to partial examinations in a course. This is possible up to 10 calendar days prior to the exam. You cannot take the exam without a valid registration in uSis.

NB If the exam concerns a paper or a practical assignment, you do not need to register in uSis.

Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.

Contact information

Dr. S. Biro