3.3 Stages of attachment Flashcards
Who developed a stage theory to describe how attachments develop?
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
What age is the asocial stage?
0 to 6 weeks.
Give a description of the asocial stage.
An infant shows similar responses to objects and people, although they do display a preference for faces/eyes.
What age is the indiscriminate attachment stage?
6 weeks to 6 months.
Give a description of the indiscriminate attachment stage.
An infant now shows a preference for human company over non-human company. They also have the ability to distinguish between different people but are comforted indiscriminately (by anyone).
What age is the discriminate/specific attachment stage?
7 to 12 months.
Give a description of the discriminate/specific attachment stage.
An infant shows a preference for one caregiver, displaying separation and stranger anxiety. The infant looks to a particular person for security, comfort and protection.
What age is the multiple attachment stage?
1 year+
Give a description of the multiple attachment stage.
Attachment behaviours are now displayed towards several different people, e.g. siblings, grandparents, etc.
What was the method of Schaffer and Emerson (1964) experiment?
60 babies were observed in their homes in Glasgow every four weeks from birth to about 18 months. Interviews were also conducted with their families.
What was the results of Schaffer and Emerson (1964) experiment?
Schaffer’s stages of attachment formation were found to occur. Also, at 8 months of age about 50 of the infants had more than one attachment. About 20 of them either had no attachment with their mother or had a stronger attachment with someone else, even though the mother was always the main carer.
What was the conclusion of Schaffer and Emerson (1964) experiment?
Infants form attachment in stages and can eventually attach to many people. Quality of care is important in forming attachments, so the infant may not attach to their mother if other people respond more accurately to its signals.
What was the evaluation of Schaffer and Emerson (1964) experiment?
There is now a lot of evidence to support Schaffer and Emerson’s results and their stages of attachment formation, but there are also criticisms of the study. For example, Schaffer and Emerson used a limited sample, and evidence from interviews and observations may be biased and unreliable. Additionally, there are some cross-cultural differences that should be considered. Tronick el al (1992) found that infants in Zaire had a strong attachment with their mother by six months of age but didn’t have strong attachments with others, even though they had several carers.
