Glasgow Babies (schaffer & Emerson)- Topic 2 Flashcards
(12 cards)
What was SCHAFFER & EMERSON’S aim?
To investigate the formation of early attachment, in particular the age in which they developed, their emotional intensity and to whom they were directed.
What was the sample used ?
60 babies from Glasgow, with the majority from working class families.
What type of study was it?
Longitudinal study where the babies and mother were studied every month for the first year and then again at 18 months. They used observations and interviews with the mothers.
What did they assess?
-Separation anxiety, through infant being left alone in a room and left alone outside the shops etc.
-stranger anxiety with the researcher starting home visits by approaching the infant, to see if they got distressed.
What were some of the findings & what do they suggest?
-between 25-32 weeks about 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards caregiver.
-attachment tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to the infants signals and facial expressions (reciprocity).
-by 40 weeks 80% of babies had a specific attachment.
Suggesting that there is a pattern of attachment common to all infants which is biologically controlled.
What was some conclusions from the study?
Attachment were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby’s signals, not the person who spent the most time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this sensitive responsiveness. The most important fact in forming attachments is not who feeds and changed the child but who plays and communicated with them.
What are the stages of development of attachment and what is the age for each stage?
-asocial stage (first few weeks)
-indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months)
-specific attachment (from 7 months)
-multiple attachment (from 12 months)
What is the asocial stage ?
Babies in the first few weeks of life are said to be in that stage. During that stage baby recognises and starts to form a bond with its carers. Babies show some preference for familiar adults, in that those individuals find it easier to calm them, and they are happier in the presence of other humans.
What is the indiscriminate attachment stage?
Babies display more observable social behaviour. They show a preference for people rather than inanimate objects and recognise and prefer familiar adults. They accept cuddles and comfort from any adult and don’t show separation or stranger anxiety. Their attachment is therefore said to be indiscriminate because it is not different towards any one person.
What is the specific attachment stage?
Majority of babies starts to display anxiety toward strangers and too become anxious when separated from one particular adult. Atp babies will have formed a specific bond.
What is the multiple attachment stage ?
Shortly after babies start to show attachment behaviours towards one adult they usually extend this attachment behaviour to multiple attachments with other adults with who they regularly spend time with. These relationships are called secondary attachments.
What are some evaluations of the study?
-good external validity, most observations were made by parents during ordinary activities, the alternative would have been to have researchers present to record the observations which would have distracted the baby or made them feel anxious.
-however the mothers being the observer means that they are unlikely to be objective observers as they may be biased in terms of what they noticed and reported.
-real world application, used for the practical application of daycare.
