Attachment: topic 2 ‘stages of attachment by Schaffer’

Question 1

What is the pre attachment phase according to Schaffer?

Answer 1

• 0-3 months
• babies are initially asocial
• produce similar responses to all objects whether they are animate (living) or inanimate (not living)
• at 6 weeks, infants begin to treat other humans differently to objects by smiling and gurgling at them
• reciprocity and interactional synchrony play a role in establishing in infants relationship with others

Question 2

What is the indiscriminate attachment phase according to Schaffer?

Answer 2

• 3-7/8 months
• infants can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people
• relatively easily comforted by anyone
• do not yet show anxiety with strangers
• general sociability (enjoyment of being with people)

Question 3

What is the specific attachment phase according to Schaffer?

Answer 3

• 7/8 months
• infant shows distinctly different protest when one particular person puts them down (separation anxiety)
• show a special joy at reunion with that person and are most comforted by this person
• said to have formed a specific attachment to this person, their primary attachment figure
• starts to develop stranger anxiety

Question 4

What is the multiple attachments phase according to Schaffer?

Answer 4

• 9 months
• infant develops a wider circle of multiple attachments soon after the main attachment is formed (eg grandparents, siblings)
• these are called secondary attachments
• infants also display separation anxiety from these relationships
• the original attachment remains the strongest