Stages of attachment

Question 1

What was Shaffer and Emersons study about

Answer 1

Participants - 60 babies from Glasgow all from same estate

Procedure- It was a longitudinal study that took place over 18 months
- they analysed interaction between mother and baby
- Mothers had to keep diary to keep track of infants behaviours in particular separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, social referencing
-They visited infants monthly

Question 2

What did Schaffer find

Answer 2

• They found infants whos parents had ‘ sensitive responsivness’ were more likely to formed attachment
• Found sensitive responsivness more important than time spent with infant
• Infants whos parents had responded to their needs quickly and spent more time interacting with child formed more intense attachments.
• Attachment seems to form when carer communicates and plays with child rather than feed and cleans

Question 3

What were the different stages of attachment identified by schaffer

Answer 3

1) Asocial stage ( 0-6 weeks )
- when infants respond to objects and people similarly- may respond more to faces and eyes
2) Indiscriminate attachment ( 6 weeks - 6 months)
- when infant develops more responses to human company. –Can tell difference between different people
- can be comforted by anyone
3)Specific (7 months +)
- Infants prefer one caregiver seeks security, comfort, protection in this person
- also start to show stranger and seperation anxiety
4) Multiple ( 10/11 months)
- When infants form multiple attachments
- may show seperation anxiety for multiple people

Question 4

Population validity

Answer 4

P= This study lacks population validity
E= infants in the study all came from Glasgow and working class families. In addition the small sample size of 60 families reduces the strength of the conclusion we can draw
E= Therefore these results cannot be generalised and so is a limited explanation of attachment development
L= Schaffers stages of attachment lack both population and temporal validity- parenting techniques have significantly changed since the 1950s, such as through influence of bowlbys work, so caution should be taken when generlising findings

Question 5

Internal validity

Answer 5

P= May lack internal validity
E= As it uses diaries which mothers kept which is a self report method
E= Therefore the accuracy of the data collection may not be the best. The parents were so busy they may have not included full details. They may also be subject to social desirability ( they would skew results in order to be seen as acceptable or desirable) , they may intentially not report and negative experiences they have. There may also be demand characteritics they may try tailor their report to fir what they think aim of study is.
L= Therefore caution should be taken when placing confidence in the conclusions drawn.

Question 6

Asocial stage ?

Answer 6

P= asocial stage cannot be studied objectively
E= Children as young as 6 weeks lack basic motor co- ordination skills, meaning we cannot establish wether their responses such as ‘separation anxiety’ are deliberate
L= its important not to draw causal conclusions