AO3- The development of attachment

• P = lacks population validity.

  E = infants in the study all came from Glasgow and were mostly from working class families. In addition, the small sample size of 60 families reduces the strength of the conclusion we can draw from the study.

  E = cannot be generalised

  L = Schaffer’s stages of attachment lack both population validity and temporal validity - parenting techniques have significantly changed since the 1950s, such as through the influence of Bowlby’s work on attachment, and so caution should be taken when generalising the findings.
• Research into the importance of primary attachment figures is socially sensitive, as later abnormalities in development (such as mental retardation or affection less psychopathy) are often blamed on the parent(s). This means that a single father or mother may be pressured to return to work at a later point in order to increase the likelihood that their child will form a secure attachment.
• Field (1978) conducted research which compared the behaviours of primary caretaker mothers with primary and secondary caretaker fathers. Face-to-face interactions were analysed from video footage with infants at 4 months of age.
• Field (1978) - Overall, it was observed that fathers engaged more in game playing and held their infants less. However, primary caretaker fathers engaged in significantly more smiling, and imitative vocalizations than did secondary caretaker fathers and these were comparable with mothers’ behaviour. This suggests that men who take on the role of primary caregiver change their interactional style to be more like that of a mother in terms of comfort and sensitive responsiveness.