Schaffer and Emmerson- Infant attachment research

Question 1

Procedure

Answer 1

Observational, longitudinal study
60 working class infants from Glasgow observed every 4 weeks until 12 months then again at 18 months.
Mothers asked about babies reactions to separation from caregivers
Infants reactions to strangers observed and recorded.

Question 2

Results

Answer 2

-Most infants maintained one object of attachment
-39% of infants attached to someone other than the person who fed and bathed them
-Little relationship between time spent together and attachment.
-50% of infants showed separation distress by 32 weeks
-Within one months of first becoming attached, 29% of infants had multiple attachments.
-Within 6 months this rose to 78% of infants with multiple attachments.

Question 3

Conclusions

Answer 3

-Responsiveness is key to attachment
-Intensely attached infants had mothers who responded quickly and interacted lots.
-Infants who were weakly attached had mothers who failed to interact.

Question 4

Strengths

Answer 4

-Natural behaviour in their own environments so infants cant act, good ecological validity.
-Longitudinal design- improved reliability
-Large sample size so improved reliability.

Question 5

Limitations

Answer 5

Same social class and poor temporal validity