Shaffer and Emerson AO3

?
  • Created by: Jordan64
  • Created on: 14-08-17 23:06
View mindmap
  • Shaffer and Emerson AO3
    • Strength: external validity
      • Observations made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers
        • Behaviour of the babies not affected by observers
          • Likely that participants behaved naturally while being observed
    • Strength: Longitudinally
      • Same children followed up and observed regularly
        • Better internal validity: no confounding variables or individual differences
          • High internal validity: clear cause and effect relationship
            • Likely that participants behaved naturally while being observed
    • Limitation: method of assessing attachment criticised
      • Baby distress when individual leaves may not mean that the individual is a 'true' attachment figure
        • Bowlby (1969): children may be distressed when playmate leaves room, but this doesn't signify attachment to them
          • Shaffer and Emerson's stages of attachment may not distinguish between behaviour shown towards secondary attachment figures and towards playmates
    • Limitation: difficulty in studying asocial year
      • Important interactions may take place during the 'asocial' year
        • Babies at this stage have poor coordination and fairly immobile: difficult judge based on observations of their behaviour
          • Babies may be social during asocial stage, so more research may be needed
    • Limitation: conflicting evidence on timing of multiple attachments
      • Bowlby (1969): most babies form attachments to primary caregiver before they develop multiple attachments
        • Multiple attachments appear from the outset in cultures where multiple attachments normal (Ijzendoorn 1993)
          • Babies in collectivist cultures may have different stages than babies in individualist cultures

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Attachment resources »