evaluations

Question 1

How would you evaluate research into caregiver-infant interactions

Answer 1

• Usually filmed in a laboratory
• practical issues
• Does not tell us its developmental importance

Question 2

How would you evaluate research into caregiver-infant interactions
( usually filmed in a laboratory)

Answer 2

• High internal validity and can establish cause and effect due to it being a controlled setting
• Usually videotaped allowing researchers to re-watch the footage and analyse using micro-sequencing
• Baby’s cannot show demand characteristics

This all allows high reliability and it is standardised giving it more scientific credibility

Question 3

How would you evaluate research into caregiver-infant interactions (practice issues)

Answer 3

• Babies have unpredictable sleeping (new born babies sleep 14-17hrs a day) and eating schedules. This means the researchers must work around these factors and can make data collection inconsistent
• Babies also cannot follow instructions or provide verbal communication so their behaviour is relied on observations which can cause misinterpretation

Question 4

How would you evaluate research into caregiver-infant interactions
(developmental importance)

Answer 4

• How do we know if it is coincidence or not
• Difficult to asses intentionality
• Babies have limited ways of expressing themselves and smiling, pointing etc may not be intentional responses to their caregiver but rather coincidental movements
• Researchers must draw inferences producing an element of bias

Question 5

What can you use to evaluate the stages of attachment

Answer 5

• Validity
• Longitudinal study
• Real-world application
• Biased sample

Question 6

How would you evaluate the stages of attachment
(Validity)

Answer 6

The Schaffer study was carried out in the families own homes and most observations were done by parents meaning the behaviour of the babies due to the researcher being there is limited. gaining good external validity
However, mums were interviewed so it can cause social desirability bias and its in a natural setting so cannot be standardised

Question 7

How would you evaluate the stages of attachment
(Longitudinal study)

Answer 7

The same children were followed up and observed regularly meaning they have high internal validity and participant variables will not effect the study
However a longitudinal study is a cross-sectional design where you observe different children at each age

Question 8

How would you evaluate the stages of attachment
(Real-world application)

Answer 8

Practical application when children are sent to Nursery
- In Asocial and Indiscriminate stages nursery is likely to be straight forward as the infant can be comforted by anyone.
- In multiple attachment it is good as the infant can form secondary attachments

Parents can use these stages to decide when it is best to send their children to nursery