3.2 The development of attachment

Question 1

List the 4 stages of attachment according to Schaffer and Emerson.

Answer 1

Indiscriminate attachments
The beginnings of attachments
Discriminate attachments
Multiple attachments

Question 2

Define indiscriminate attachment.

Answer 2

When an infant produces similar responses to all objects, whether they are animate or inanimate.

Question 3

At what time in an infant’s life does indiscriminate attachment usually occur?

Answer 3

Birth until about 8 weeks

Question 4

Define ‘The beginnings of attachment’

Answer 4

Infants become more social, they prefer human company to inanimate objects and can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people.
They are still relatively comforted by anyone and do not yet show stranger anxiety.

Question 5

At what time in an infant’s life do the beginnings of attachment usually occur?

Answer 5

Around the age of 4 months.

Question 6

Define discriminate attachment

Answer 6

Begin to show a distinctly different protest when a particular person puts them down, this is called separation anxiety.
They are most comforted by a particular person, most likely their primary attachment figure.
Infant also begins to display stranger anxiety.
Schaffer and Emerson discovered that primary attachments were not always formed with the person the infant spent the most time with.

Question 7

At what time in an infant’s life does discriminate attachment occur?

Answer 7

Seven months old

Question 8

Define multiple attachments.

Answer 8

Very soon after the main attachment is formed, the infant also forms a wider circle of multiple attachments.

Question 9

At what time in an infant’s life do multiple attachments occur?

Answer 9

On average about a year. Always very soon after the main attachment has been formed.

Question 10

what is multiple attachment

Answer 10

having more than one attachment figure

Question 11

what is a primary attachment figure

Answer 11

the person who has formed the closest bond with a child, demonstrated by the intensity of the relationship.
this is usually a child’s biological mother, but other people can fulfil the role - an adoptive mother, a father, grandmother so on..

Question 12

what is separation anxiety

Answer 12

the distress shown by an infant when separated from his/her caregiver.
this is not necessarily the child’s biological mother

Question 13

what is stranger anxiety

Answer 13

the distress shown by an infant when approached or picked up by someone who is unfamiliar

Question 14

what did Schaffer and Emerson identify about the role of the father?

Answer 14

fathers were far less likely to be primary attachment figures than mother

Question 15

List some reasons as to why the father is far less likely to be the primary attachment figure

Answer 15

they spend less time with the infant - However Lamb (1997) identified studies that found little relationship between father accessibility and infant-father attachment.
Men are not psychologically equipped to form an intense attachment because they lack the emotional sensitivity women offer due to biological and social factors

Question 16

Why are fathers important for secondary attachments, why?

Answer 16

research has consistently highlighted the fact that fathers are more playful, physically active and generally better at providing challenging situations for their children.
a father is an exciting playmate whereas mothers are more conventional (Geiger, 1966)
It may be that a lack of sensitivity from fathers can be seen as positive because it fosters problem solving by creating greater cognitive demands on children (White and Woollett, 1992)

Question 17

Evaluation points of the developments of attachment

Answer 17

unreliable data - mothers of less securely attached infants would be less sensitive and possibly less accurate in their reports, a systematic bias
biased sample - working class population from the 1960s, results may not generalise well
multiple attachments - Rutter argued that all relationships equivalent
Cultural variations - two types of cultures, individualist or collectivist
stage theories of development - may be to flexible

Question 18

Summarise the development of attachment research.

Answer 18

Schaffer and Emerson studies 60 infants and mothers from Glasgow
stage 1: indiscriminate attachments
stage 2: The beginnings of attachments
stage 3: Discriminate attachments
stage 4: Multiple attachment
the role of the father - changing social practices: increased exposure might lead to primary attachments
biological factors - women have hormones that encourage caringness
nevertheless men are primary attachment figures or share this role (Franke et al.)
secondary attachment - fathers more playful (Geiger); problem-solving (White and Woollett)

Question 19

What was Schaffer and Emerson’s aim in their 1964 study?

Answer 19

Investigate attachment formation.

Particularly the age, emotional intensity and target.

Question 20

Method for Schaffer and Emerson’s 1964 attachment study?

Answer 20

60 babies, 31 male, 29 female.
All from Glasgow and mostly from skilled-working class families
Separation anxiety was measured by asking parents what protest behaviours babies did.

Question 21

What were the findings of Schaffer and Emerson’s 1964 attachment study?

Answer 21

Between 25 and 32 weeks, 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards a specific adult, not necessarily the primary caregiver
The specific attachment tended to be towards the caregiver showing the most reciprocity, not necessarily the one they spent the most time with.
By 40 weeks, 80% of babies had specific attachments, 30% had multiple attachments