Schaffer and Emerson’s attachment research (1964)

Question 1

Schaffer and Emerson’s experiment procedure

Answer 1

1. 60 Glaswegian babies from skilled working class families
2. visited once a month for 18 months
3. researches asked parents to observe children by keeping a diary
4. e.g. left alone in a room or left alone with a stranger

Question 2

Schaffer and Emerson’s findings

Answer 2

1. four stages of attachment: asocial, indiscriminate, specific, multiple

Question 3

Schaffer and Emerson evaluation - strengths

Answer 3

1. external validity - naturalistic observation was studied in the environment where it most naturally occurs
2. generalisability to real life settings - researchers were not present at time
3. longitudinal studies - same children observed so individual differences eliminated as a confounding variable, more internally valid

Question 4

Schaffer and Emerson evaluation - weaknesses

Answer 4

1. lacks population validity - families from Glasgow and same social class, unable to generalise to all parents and children
2. culture bias - results can not be applied to all cultures and locations around world

Question 5

Four stages of attachment - asocial

Answer 5

1. from 0-6 weeks
2. similar responses to objects and people
3. preference for faces and eyes

Question 6

Four stages of attachment - indiscriminate

Answer 6

1. from 6 weeks to 6 months
2. preference for human company
3. ability to distinguish between people but comforted indiscriminately