Attachment - schaffer's stages of attachment

Question 1

What does it mean by stages of attachment

Answer 1

Many developmental theories identify a sequence of qualitatively different behaviours linked to specific ages. In stages of attachment some characteristics of the infant’s behaviour towards others change as the infant gets older.

Question 2

What does multiple attachments mean?

Answer 2

Attachments to two or more people. Most babies appear to develop multiple attachments once they have formed one true attachment to a main carer

Question 3

A01:
What are the stages of attachment (4)

Answer 3

1)Asocial stage
2)Indiscriminate attachment
3)Specfic attachment
4)Multiple attachments

Question 4

A01:
Explain the first stage of attachment

Answer 4

Asocial (first few weeks) - baby’s behaviour towards people inaminate objects is quite similar

Question 5

A01:
Explain the second stage of attachment

Answer 5

Indiscriminate attachment (2-7months) - babies now display more observable social behaviour, with a preference for people rather than inanimate objects

Question 6

A01:
Explain the third stage of attachment

Answer 6

Specific attachment (around 7 months+) - Stranger anxiety when separated from one particular person. Baby is said to have formed a specific attachment with primary attachment figure

Question 7

A01:
Explain the fourth stage of attachment

Answer 7

Multiple attachments (by one year) - Secondary attachments with other adults form shortly after. By the age of one the majority of infants have mutliple secondary attachments

Question 8

A01:
Schaffer and Emerson research - procedure

Answer 8

60 babies from glasgow, most working class families. Visiting babies and mother at home every month for a year and again at 18 months

Separation anxiety measured by asking mothers about their childs behaviour during everyday separations

Stranger anxiety measured by asking mothers questions about the children’s anxiety esponse to unfamiliar adults

Question 9

A01:
Findings and conclusions

Answer 9

Developed attachments through a sequence of stages

Specific attachment tended to be to the person who was most interactive and sensitive to babies’ signals and facial expressions (i.e reciprocity)

Not necessarily person the baby spent most time with

Question 10

A03:
One strength of the study is that it has external validity

Answer 10

Most of the observations were made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers
The alternative would be to have observers present in the babies’ homes. This may have distracted the babies or made them feel anxious
Meaning it is highly likely that the participants behaved naturally while being observed

Question 11

A03:
One limitation is poor evidence for the asocial stage

Answer 11

Because of their stage of physical development young babies have poor co-ordination and are fairly immobile
Makes it difficult for mothers to accurately report signs of anxiety and attachment for this age group
Meaning babies might actually be quite social but because of flawed methods, they appear to be asocial

Question 12

A03:
One strength is real world application to daycare

Answer 12

In the early stages (asocial and indiscriminate) babies can be comfortede by any skilled adult
But if a child starts daycare later, during the stage of specific attachments, care from an unfamiliar adult may cause distress and longer term problems
Meaning that Schaffer and Emerson’s stages can help parents making daycare decisions

Question 13

A03:
Generalisability

Answer 13

Schaffer and Emerson based their stages on a single but large scale study of babies’ development conducted in working-class Glasgow