Evaluation

• What is one strength of Schaffer and Emerson's research?

  It has good external validity:

  • Most observations were made by parents during ordinary activities
  • It is highly likely that the participants behaved naturally while being observed
• What is a counterpoint of external validity?

  There are issues with asking the mothers to be observers:

  • They might have been biased in terms of what they noticed and reported
  • Therefore, even if the babies behaved naturally their behaviour may not have been accurately recorded
• What is a limitation of Schaffer and Emerson's stages?

  The validity of the measures used to asses attachment in the asocial stage:

  • Young babies have poor coordination and are fairly immobile - if they displayed signs of anxiety they might have been subtle and hard to identify
  • This therefore damages the internal validity of the stages of attachment theory
• What is the real-world application of Schaffer and Emerson's stages?

  They have practical application in day care:

  • In the asocial and indiscriminate stages day care is likely to be straightforward as babies can be comforted by any skilled adult
  • However, S&E's research tells us that day care may be problematic during the specific attachment stage
  • This means that parents' use of day care can be planned using S&E's stages