Two key animal studies are named by the AQA specification: Lorenz’s research with goslings and Harlow’s study of infant rhesus monkeys. Here’s a lesson plan for the topic. Introducing the topic Enter the phrase, ‘unusual animal friends’ into a search engine to find lots of examples of unlikely animal attachments. Either show the class a […]
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New challenges are coming thick and fast for all of us: getting to grips with new assessment objectives, exam formats and marking systems as well as whole new topics to teach. For those of us planning schemes of work, the linear course gives a welcome flexibility, but this lack of a fixed half-time marker can […]
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Schaffer and Emerson’s research into attachment enabled them to construct an explanation of how attachment develops. Starter: In explaining the behaviour seen at each stage of attachment a number of key terms are used which students need to be aware of. Before beginning the main activity students need to familiarise themselves with the following vocabulary and […]
Read moreYou will have heard of the nature-nurture debate. In the last decade researchers have come to a deeper understanding of how the two interact. The field is called epigenetics and there is an interesting example of this in the link between stress and attachment. Research has shown that rats who have been raised by mothers […]
Read moreA recent study by Brooks-Gunn et al. (2010) has concluded that the benefits related to going out to work may balance out any harm to children in such situations. The study analysed data from the American NICHD study, calculating the total effect of maternal employment – taking into account all factors related to being a working mother like income, […]
Read moreIs it good for a baby to have a very young mother? And what about having a much older mother? We hear quite a lot about young girls getting pregnant, but there is also a small but increasing number of women giving birth aged 60+. For example, Rajo Devi had a baby at the age […]
Read more“We are inherently attracted to a specific set of characteristics, including large, symmetrical heads, large eyes, small mouths and small noses,” according to Jeffrey Kurland, associate professor of biological anthropology and human development. But why do almost all humans find this particular set of features so appealing?” Suggested answer here … Disturbingly non-cute babies here […]
Read moreJust a quick evaluation nugget for you. Fraley and Spieker (2003) have found that classifying infants by type may not be accurate. The researchers looked at data recorded for over 1000 children involved in the NICHD study. The data had been collected from observations made in the strange situation. The re-analysis showed that variations in […]
Read moreIn the AS Complete Companion, the summaries at the end of chapter 2 (page 58), the text regarding the weaknesses of learning theory says that ‘Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found infants were most attached to the adult who fed them’. This is wrong, as the text earlier in the chapter states that they found that […]
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