"The Glasgow Study"
"The Development of Social Attachments in Infancy"
"The Development of Social Attachments in Infancy"
Aim :
To investigate the age of a first attachment, who this attachment is with and it's strangth
Procedure:
60 Glasgow infants (5- 23 weeks)
Observe infants in their own homes every month until they were 1. Researchers return at 18 months again.
Interview of the mum.
Diary is kept from mum to examine 3 measurements;
Stranger Anxiety - response to arrival of a stranger
Separation Anxiety - distress level when separated from carer, degree of comfort needed on return
Social Referencing - degree that child looks at carer to check how they should respond to something new (secure base)
Findings:
Asocial (0-6weeks) - responds to all stimuli
Indiscrimiate Attachment (6weeks-6months) - does not discrimate against anybody; reponds to all people
Specific Attamchment (7months-1year) - Attaches specifically to one person at 7 months > attachment threshold. Separation anxiety and Stranger Anxiety at it's peak
Multiple Attachments (1year+)
1/3rd 5+ attachments
65% Mum is first attachment
3% Dad is first attachment
30% have a joint "first" attachment
Conclusion:
Attachment is formed between 6 -8 months
The higher the Mother's emotional responsiveness, the stronger attachment
Criticisms:
Cultural Bias - Glaswegian participants only
Social Acceptance - Mum may lie to make herself "look better" , or lie to give "desirable answers"
Gender Bias - Mum's assumed to be the attachment figure
Small Sample Size - 60
