Schaffer and Emerson Flashcards
who investigated attachment?
Schaffer and Emerson
Aim of Schaffer and Emerson
to investigate the formation of early attachments, in particular the age at which they are developed, their emotional intensity and to whom they were directed
method of Schaffer and Emerson
•60 babies (31 male, 29 female) from Glasgow
•the babies and their mothers were visited every month for the first year and then again at 18 months
•the mothers were asked about the kind of protest the babies showed in everyday separations (separation anxiety) and their response to unfamiliar adults (stranger anxiety)
findings of schaffer and emerson
•between 25 and 32 weeks of age about 50% of babies showed signs of separation anxiety, usually towards the mother (specific attachment)
•attachments formed between the caregiver who was the most interactive/ attentive to the babies needs
• by the age of 40 weeks 80% of the babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments
4 stages of attachment (s&e)
asocial stage
indiscriminate stage
specific attachment
multiple attachments
how many babies were in Schaffer and emerson’s study
60 (31 male, 29 female)
where were the babies from schaffer and emerson’s study from?
Glasgow, same social class and district
two types of anxiety expressed in schaffer and emerson’s study
• separation anxiety
• stranger anxiety
between how many weeks did 50% of babies show a sign of separation anxiety?
25 and 32 weeks
by the age of 40 weeks how many babies had formed a specific attachment?
80%
by the age of 40 weeks how many babies had formed multiple attachments?
30%
evaluation points of schaffer and emerson
strength- good external validity
strength- longitudinal design
limitation- limited sample characteristics
schaffer and emerson strength: (validity)
it has good external validity. the study was carried out in the families own homes and most of the observations were actually done by the parents. this means that the babies behaviour was unlikely to be affected by the presence of observers so they behaved naturally, therefore it has good ecological validity and its results into the stages of attachment is valid.
schaffer and emerson strength: (design)
it has a longitudinal design. the study was carried out longitudinally, meaning the same children were followed up and observed regularly. [the quicker option would have been to observe different children at each age, this would be called a cross- sectional design]. however, the longitudinal design has better internal validity as it does not have participant variables.
schaffer and emerson limitation: (sample)
it has limited sample characteristics, the sample size was 60 and all the families were from the same city, district and social class at a time over 50 years ago. this means the results may not be able to be generalised.
age of the asocial stage/ pre-attachment stage
0-6 weeks
age of the indiscriminate attachment stage
6 weeks- 7 months
age of the specific attachment stage
7-9 months
age of the multiple attachment stage
10+ months
what is attachment?
a close emotional relationship between an infant and its caregiver. attached infants show a desire to be close to their main caregiver and show distress when separated.
pre-attachment stage (asocial)
the babies behaviour towards human and non human objects is quite similar, and both might produce reactions like a smile. they are happier in the presence of humans and show a preference for familiar adults
indiscriminate attachment stage
babies display more observable social behaviour. they enjoy human company and most babies respond equally to any caregiver. they do not usually show separation or stranger anxiety at this point. they recognise and prefer familiar adults.
specific attachment stage
they have special preference for a single person (primary attachment figure). this is called a specific attachment. the baby shows stranger fear and separation anxiety, the baby looks to particular people for protection and comfort, attaching to the ones who attend to their needs the best
multiple attachment stage
the baby becomes increasingly more independent and forms several attachments, these relationships are called secondary attachments and are formed between them and other familiar humans.
