AS ATTACHMENT; SCHAFFER AND EMERSON'S STAGES OF ATTACHMENT

Question 1

Describe the sample, method and findings of the Schaffer and Emerson (1964) study.

Answer 1

• 60 babies (31 male and 29 female) and their mothers. All from Glasgow and mainly working class.
• Controlled observation; visited once every month for a year, and then once again at 18 months.
• Asked mothers questions about how separation anxiety their infants showed in 7 everyday separations (e.g. caregiver leaving room), as well as any stranger anxiety
• Between 25 and 32 weeks old, 50% of babies showed separation anxiety to a particular caregiver (usually mother); i.e. they showed specific attachment.
• Attachment was usually to whichever caregiver was most responsive to the infant’s needs; based on reciprocity
• By 40 weeks old, 80% had formed a specific attachment and nearly 30% showed multiple attachments

Question 2

Describe the first stage of attachment based on the findings of the study

Answer 2

The asocial stage takes place in the first few weeks. Here, the baby’s behaviour towards animate and inanimate objects is similar. They are happier in the presence of other adults, and do show a small preference to adults they know.

Question 3

Describe the second stage of attachment based on the findings of the study

Answer 3

In the indiscriminate stage (2-7 months) babies show more socuial behaviour and prefer people over inanimate objects. They still prefer familiar adults a little bit, but attachment is the same to everyone. They don’t show stranger/separation anxiety here.

Question 4

Describe the third stage of attachment based on the findings of the study

Answer 4

In the specific stage (from 7 months), babies now show stranger/separation anxiety and have formed a specific attachment to a primary caregiver (biological mother in 65% of cases); it’s the person who responds to the baby’s needs most skillfully (not necessarily whoever spends the longest with them)

Question 5

Describe the fourth stage of attachment based on the findings of the study

Answer 5

• By one year old, most babies have reached the multiple stage in which they for multiple secondary attachments to other adults
• 29% of babies had actually formed multiple attachments just one month after forming their primary one.

Question 6

Evaluate Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment

Answer 6

(+) Mothers did the oibservations themselves and were just questioned about it later; more natural beh from infants
(+) Longitudinal study so no individual differences; if they’d just measured kids at different ages instead of following them through for the 18 months, then individual differences could confound the results
(-) Bowlby criticised the way attchment was measured; babies may show distress if playmates leave, but this doesn’t mean they’ve formed an attachment
(-) As babies are fairly immobile in first few weeks, it may be difficult to measure and establish the asocial stage; babies may actually be quite social but just have no way of expressing it yet