AO1

• Aim:

  To investigate the formation of early attachments; in particular the age at which they developed, their emotional intensity and to whom they were directed.
• Method:

  • Study involved 60 babies - 31 male, 29 female. All were from Glasgow and the majority were from skilled working-class families
  • Used a mix of self-report and observation in their study. The observations took place in infants' own homes - observers noted how the infants responded to their presence (stranger anxiety)
• Procedure:

  • The babies and their mothers were visited at home every month for the first year and again at 18 months. The researchers asked the mothers questions about the kind of protest their babies showed in seven everyday separations, e.g. adult leaving the room (a measure of separation anxiety). This was designed to measure the infant's attachment
  • The researchers also assessed stranger anxiety - the infant's anxiety response to unfamiliar adults
• Findings:

  • Between 25 and 32 weeks of age about 50% of the babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult, usually the mother (this is called specific attachment)
  • Attachment tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions (i.e. reciprocity). This was not necessarily with whom the infant spent most time
  • By the age of 40 weeks 80% of the babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments
• Conclusion:

  Infants go through each of the attachment stages and that infants' mothers are still the most crucial attachment figures at 18 months of age. Infants had a 'hierarchy' of other attachments based on how important each attachment was to the infant.