AIM - to investigate the age at
which infants become attached and
weather it is possible to develop
multiple attachments
Other studies that are linked...
Harlows Monkeys
Mary Ainsworth
attachement types
RESULTS
Mother was usually the main attachment
figure for 64% at age 18months, 3% of studied
made primary attachment with their father.
first attachement formed
between 6 and 8 months
by 18months 31% of infants
formed multiple attachements
eg. grandparents, siblings ect.
CONCUSIONS - attachements are more
likely to be formed with those who respond
accurately to the infants signals than the
person they spend the most time with
Shaffer and Emerson called this 'Sensitive
responsiveness'
they concluded that the most important factor in
forming attachements is NOT who feeds and
changes the infant but who plays and communicates
with him or her
Procedure - Longitudinal study.
60 glaswegian infants
over their first 18 months
they visited the children at monthly
intervals in their own homes
they observed the childrens
interactions with their care
givers
Evidence for the development of an
attachment was that the baby showed
separation anxiety after the carer left.
a longitudinal study - a type of observational study
that involves repeated observations of the same
situation/people over long periods of time
The caregivers were interviewed
about the infants behaviour