Attachment - Stages of Attachment (Key Research) Flashcards
Who conducted this key piece of research? When?
Schaffer and Emerson in 1964
Aim
Aimed to study development of attachments
How was this study a longitudinal study?
Because 60 infants from W/C families in Glasgow were observed over an 18 month period
When were families investigated? (Not the year)
Once a month for 12 months than again at the 18 month mark
What were the mothers asked to do?
Observe their children and keep a diary of their behaviours
What three things did Schaffer and Emerson measure?
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Social referencing
Stranger anxiety
Response to arrival of a stranger
Separation anxiety
Distress level when separated from carer and degree of comfort needed on return to carer
Social referencing
Degree that child looks at carer to check how they should respond to something new
What percentage of infants showed separation anxiety towards an adult between 25 and 32 weeks?
50%
At 40 weeks old, nearly 30% of infants formed what?
Multiple attachments
What percentage of infants had multiple attachments within 1 month of forming attachment?
29%
Within how many months of forming attachment did 78% of infants have multiple attachments?
Within 6 months
During what ages does a child go through the asocial stage?
0-6 weeks
During what ages are indiscriminate attachments formed?
6 weeks - 6 months
When are multiple attachments formed?
10/11 months +
During the asocial stage, what do infants produce?
Similar responses to objects and people
What do children have a preference of during the asocial stage?
Faces/eyes
How can you tell if an infant is asocial?
If many kinds of stimuli produce a favourable (positive) reaction
What do children enjoy during the indiscriminate attachments stage?
Human company
How do children during the indiscriminate attachments stage respond to different caregivers?
They respond equally to any caregiver
When do children during the indiscriminate attachments stage get upset?
When an individual ceases to interact with them
From 3 months, what do infants do more?
They smile more at familiar faces
What do infants show a preference for during the specific attachments stage?
One caregiver
What do infants look to for security, comfort and protection during the specific attachments stage?
A particular person
During what stage does the infant show stranger anxiety and separation anxiety?
Specific attachments stage
What does the infant become during the multiple attachments stage?
Increasingly independent
What do infants form during the multiple attachments stage?
Several attachments with people close to them such as mum, dad, brother and sisters
Who were infants most likely to form attachments with during the multiple attachments stage?
Those who responded accurately to the infant signals, not the person they spent most time with
Rhyme for remembering
All
Infants
Say
Mums
