Schaffer and emersons study Flashcards
The aim of shaffer and Emerson’s study
1964
Aimed to investigate the formation of early attachments in particular the article at which they developed, their emotional intensity and to whine they were directed
Method of shaffer and Emerson’s study
60 babies - 31 male 29 male
All from Glasgow and were from working class families
-babies and mothers were visited at home every month for the first year and then again at 18 months
- the researchers asked the mothers questions about the kind of protest their babies showed in seven every day separations
-measured separation anxiety
-measured stranger anxiety
Findings or Schaffer and Emerson’s study
Between 25 and 32 weeks of age about 50% of the babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult usually the mother (specific attachment)
- this attachment tended to be with the most interactive caregiver ( most infant signals and facial expressions- reciprocity)
- by 40 weeks 80% had a specific attachment and moody 30% displayed multiple attachment
Evaluation of study - good external validity
Was carried out in families own homes and most of the observation was actually done by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers later.
- this means that the behaviour of the babies was u likely to be affected by the presence of observers
- so babies and mothers behaved naturally
Evaluation - strength as its longitudinal design
Same children were followed up and observed regularly
Longitudinal have Better internal validity that cross sectional designs because they do not have the confounding variables if individual differences between participants (participant variables)
Evaluation - limited sample characteristics
They aree all from same social class, same city and during a time over 50 years ago.
Child rearing practices vary from one culture to another and the family dynamics have since changed
So the results do not generalise well to other social and historical contexts
