Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

"The Glasgow Study"
"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 

Attachment

"An attachment is the close emotional bond that forms between two people, characterised by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity" - Schaffer (1993)

 Kagen et al. (1978) - an attachment is one in which;

• an intense emotional relationship develops specifically between two people
• endures over time
• prolonged separation from the attachment figure causes stress and sorrow

The First Attachment



Within days of birth, baby prefers a human face and responds to human sounds than mechanical sounds


Attachment at birth - crying, eye-contact, grasping, being soothed


Attachment at 2/3 months - smiling, reaching, arm-waving, face recognition




"Mutual Recoprocity" Stern (1977)

When mum talks to an infant, the baby looks intensly at her and make noises.
Child will stop until a response is given from mum.
"Conversation" by recognising cues

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

• focuses on the scientific understanding of age-related changed in experience and behaviour
• Studying Development is motivated by social / economic change

Infancy -- Childhood -- Adolescence -- Adulthood -- Old Age



Childhood

• Childhood (7 - adolescence) not studied until after the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
• Factories needed literacy and numeracy skills - met by universal primary education
• Study child's mind so education was effective

Adolescence

• Studied in 20th Century - Western society wealthy enough to protect child from adult economic responsibilities - extending education

Old Age 

• Social / medical advanced raise study into the psychology of old age

4 Catagories of Developmental Study

Physical - development of anatomy (body structure) and physiology (processes) and their effect on thinking, behaving, socially and emotionally

Cognitive - perception, attention, language, memory, thinking, problem solving

Social - socialisation, socialbility, child- rearing practises, moral development, peer group influence

Emotional - close to social development. Nature of attachments, temperment, personality, motivation, aggression, identity

All catagories are interdependant / connected
Eg. physical changed in adolescence parallel with social changes and emotional changes.




Influences on Developement

Nature vs Nuture

Biological Influences - Each individual has a genetic blueprint. Maturation starts at conception.  The progressive rate of development is the same for all children and is also genetically programmed.

Environmental Influences - Family, peers, education, media, religion