Stages of attatchment Flashcards
(20 cards)
What was the aim of Schaffer and Emerson’s research?
To investigate the formation of early attachments, the age at which they develop and who they are directed to
What was the procedure of Schaffer and Emerson’s research?
A longitudinal study on 60 working class new born infants and their mothers from Glasgow
How ofte nwhere the infants and their mothers visited?
Every month for the first year of the infant’s life and again at 18 months
What methods were used in Schaffer and Emersons study
Observations and interviews
How was stranger anxiety assessed?
Assessed by the infant being left alone in a room, or the researcher asking the mother how the infant reacts in this situation
How was stranger anxiety assessed?
Assessed by the researcher starting each home visit by approaching the infant to see if this distressed the child. Researchers asked mother’s questions such as infants who smiled at and who they responded to
Name all the stages of attachment?
Asocial, indiscriminate, specific, multiple
When is asocial attachment formed?
First few weeks
When was indiscriminate attachments formed?
2-7 months
When are specific attachments formed?
Around 7 months
When are multiple attachments formed?
Within one month of forming a specific attachment
In __% of cases the specific attachment was with the mother
65%
At 18 months, what percentage of children had an attachment with their father?
75%
How many of the children formed multiple attachments?
29%
What was the conclusion of Schaffer and Emersons study?
Infants form attachments in stages, multiple attachments can be formed
What is a strength of Schaffer and Emerson’s study into attachment?
High ecological validity because observations were carried out in their own homes during ordinary activties by the parent such as leaving the room
Why does ecological validity make it easier to generalise the findings?
Easier to generalise the findings to real life examples of attachment as the children’s behaviour is likely to be representitive of everyday interactions
Why is the research prone to social desirability bias?
Because interviews were used to gather info, therefore the mothers could have lied about their child’s behaviour to present their parenting in the best possible light
Why can the sample of Schaffer and Emerson’s research be criticised?
The sample used were all from Glasgow meaning it is difficult to generalise the findings of stages of attachment to other cultures
Why can the research not be applied to non-western cultures?
Families often work together to look after a child have found that infants can form multiple attachments from the outset without forming a specific attachment first
