One study that had positive effects was Peer relationships. There is a suggestion that day care can have positive effects on the sociability of the child, particularly in respect of relationships with peers. Using a variety of measures, including aggressiveness, closeness and frequency of interaction, Shea (1981) showed that children aged 3-4 became more sociable during their time in nursery school. This improvement was greater in those spending 5 days per week than those spending just 2 days. Clarke-Stewart et al (1994) showed that among 2-3 year old children in day care, peer relationships were more advanced compared with those cared for at home. However not all children benefit from day care. Those with shy and difficult temperaments may have found the experience stressful, with consequent negative effects on their social development. Clarke-Stewart et al (1994) also demonstrated that there was no difference in the amount of distress shown between high-level day care children (over 30 hours per week) and low-level day care children (under 10 hours per week) when the mother departed. Research into day care had identified a number of factors that are involved in producing high quality day care, including the consistency of care – which means that a secure is more likely to occur if the same caregiver consistently looks after the child. In many establishments a key worker is assigned to each child so that relationship can develop, although typical in childcare establishments, with a high staff turnover, they are less likely to provide consistent care. Lower staff to child ratios, usually of 1:3, means that children get more adult attention, also meaning that adults are able to be more sensitive to the individual needs of the children they are looking after and can provide suitable stimulating activities. Lastly high quality of care can be guaranteed because of procedures set in place such as Ofsted, also well trained staff can therefore be aware of issues such as the importance of sensitivity in the formation of attachment, and are able to provide suitable activities for each child's level of development. This evidence is supporting, as it is a mediating factor, as the quality of the day care given can alter the effects of day care on social development. Sylva et al (2003) found that children, who attended pre-school, were more cooperating and therefore developed and maintained stronger relations with peers, when compared to those not provided with pre-schooling.
However, other research has found negative effects of – Aggression. Since Bowlby first suggested his maternal deprivation hypothesis, there have been many studies that do not support the implication that working mothers, who use day care from an early age, run the risk of subjecting their infants to maternal deprivation. Although provided that the day care is of sufficient quality, it should not necessarily weaken the child’s attachment to the mother. One exception to this finding is a series of studies by Belsky & Rovine (1988). They claimed to have evidence that insecure attachments were more likely to develop, if the child had been receiving care of at least 20 hours per week for 4 months or more, before its first birthday. However, Belsky & Rovine used Ainsworth’s strange situation as a measure of attachment and because children in day care are used to separations, subjecting them to the Strange Situation test may not have provide an accurate measure of attachment behavior among this group of children. Sammons et al (2003) identified an increased risk of antisocial behavior, if children spent more than 20 hours per week in nursery care and Belsky (2006) showed that children, who were in day care from early age, were more likely to be disobedient and aggressive. There is substantial refuting evidence of aggression, that there are other fundamental findings from the NICHD study which unfortunately, have not received as much publicity from the media.
Gregg et al (2005) suggested that the only group of children affected by day care, were those who’s care consisted solely on unpaid care, for example by a friend, relative or neighbor. This suggests that carers feel less responsibility to provide a high quality of physical and emotional care, unlike day care, because they are unpaid.
Methodology suggests that most studies into the effects of day care are in correlation with nature e.g. they have uncovered a link, so we therefore cannot assume that experiences in day care actually cause sociability. For example, shy unsociable mothers have children that are of the same temperament – and they may perhaps prefer to stay at home to look after the children, it is said that the more outgoing children, are those who attend day care.