Children's friendships have been studied by a number of researchers and psychologists. The two studies that will be looked at will be those conducted by Bigelow and La Gaipa (1974) and by William Corsaro. Each study will be looked at in depth; this will include what was researched and also the methods that were used during the study. With this information, similarities and differences will naturally arise and give grounds for comparing and contrasting the two.
When looking at the content of both studies there is a clear similarity and this is that they both had interest in the research of children's friendships. Although this similarity is present, the two studies developed on very different areas. The first study that will be introduced is that of Bigelow and La Gaipa (1974). The point of interest for this study was children's understanding of friendship and how this understanding could change throughout the stages of development (Brownlow, 2010 p. 242). This differs and contrasts the research interest of William Corsaro. Corsaro was interested in
This assignment will compare and contrast the research of Mary Ainsworth and William Corsaro on children’s relationships. It will look at the differences and similarities in their work, and the relationships and who they were studying, also their methods of collecting data and how they analysed this. The assignment will also look at what they found out about relationships and how this has contributed to our early understandings of them. It will also look at some criticisms of the studies and the fact that some of the research was built on from previous researchers theories and some research from a developing area.
There are a number of differences in the studies of Mary Ainsworth and William Corsaro’s work with children. Firstly Mary Ainsworth was interested in babies and the theory of attachment, whereas William Corsaro’s interest was in children’s understanding of friendships. Ainsworth’s interest in this area...