Evaluation

    Cards (4)

    • 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