The development of attachment

Question 1

AO1-
Stage1+2+3+4

Answer 1

Schaffer and emerson 1960 research conclusion
-Stage 1 asocial stage, 0-2 months old infants produce similar responses to all objects whether they are animate or inanimate- “asocial” . IMP= reciprocity and interactional synchrony in establishing relationships with others
-Stage 2- presocial 2mo- become more social,prefer humans to objects, can be comforted by anyone, dont show S anxiety, characterised by general sociability
- Stage3 specific attachment 7mo- infants protest in separation anxiety when a certain person distances from them + have joy upon reunion, most comforted by this person ( primary attachment figure),
quality ( fast interaction and alot of attention) matters most in this stage of relationship, causing higher levels of attachment to a parental figure
Stage 4- multiple attachments- infants develop a wider circle of attachment figures depending on how many consistent relationships he/she has, these are secondary attachments and these cause separation anxiety too. Within one month of attachment 29 percent of babies had S attachment figures

Question 2

A03- unreliable data by S and E

Answer 2

• Schaffer and emersonsa data may be unreliable
• Based upon mothers reports of their infants
• Some mothers might have been less sensitive to their infants protests and therefore less likely to report them
• Creates a systematic bias which challenges the validity of the data

Question 3

AO3 sample-

Answer 3

Schaffer & Emerson’s study involved observations carried out by the parents in the home
The observations did not take place in controlled, lab conditions
This means that the babies were not distracted by the presence of unfamiliar researchers
This means that the babies were simply ‘being babies’ in their home environment
high external validity to the research

Question 4

AO1- role of the father

Answer 4

-S and E found primary attachment figures are alot less likely to be the fathers, which may be because they spend less time with the infants
Possible that this is also because some men are not psychologically equipped to offer the emotional sensitivity that females offer, can be due to B or S factors

Question 5

real world app

Answer 5

The findings of Schaffer & Emerson’s study have good real-world application
The stages of attachment can be applied practically to daycare settings such as nurseries and preschools (kindergartens)
Parents can use the stages of attachment to help understand the development of their child

Answer 6

The data collected by Schaffer & Emerson was from a biased sample
Schaffer & Emerson only used families from a working-class population from Glasgow, Scotland (an individualistic culture)
This means the findings may not apply to other socioeconomic and cultural groups