The Development of attachment

Question 1

State the researchers involved with the Development of attachment study.

Answer 1

Schaffer & Emerson (1960)

Question 2

What did the researchers involved with the Development of Attachment study aim for?

Answer 2

• Aimed to investigate early formation of early attachments
• Participants = 60 babies from Glaswegian & working class females
• Babies & mother visited monthly 1st year & again at 18 months

Question 3

State the procedure of The Development of attachment study.

Answer 3

Mother was asked questions:
- 1st: Child’s separation anxiety
> Distress when an infant is separated by caregiver
- 2nd: Child’s stranger anxiety
> Infant anxiety response to unfamiliar adult

Question 4

State the process of Stage 1 and it’s title.

Answer 4

Indiscriminate attachment:

• Infants produce similar response to all objects, animate or inanimate
• During this time reciprocity & interactional synchrony play a role establishing infants reaction with others

Question 5

State the process of Stage 2 and it’s title.

Answer 5

Beginning of attachment:
- Age 4 months infants become:
> More social
> Prefer company
- Can distinguish between familiar/unfamiliar people
- Easily comforted by anone

Question 6

State the process of Stage 3 and it’s title.

Answer 6

Discriminate attachment:

• Have a primary attachment
• Separation anxiety & positive reunion behaviour displayed at this stage

Question 7

State the process stage 4 and it’s title.

Answer 7

Multiple attachment:

• Infants develop wider circle
• One month after developing primary attachment - infant obtains secondary attachment

Question 8

Name the 1st limitation of The Development of attachment.

Answer 8

Lack generalisability:
- Small sample size:
> 60 babies - difficult to generalise to wider population
- Bias:
> Working class families - might not be generalisable to other social groups

Question 9

Name 2nd limitation of The Development of attachment.

Answer 9

Unreliable:
- Self-report methods:
> Mother was asked questions
> Mother may be sensitive to protest - may lie to

Question 10

Name the 3rd limitation of The Development of attachment.

Answer 10

Lacks external validity:
- Study done in 1960:
> Parental care has changed over time
> Some study may not yield some findings today.