SCHAFFER AND EMERSON'S stages of attachment

Question 1

What are the four stages of attachment in order?

Answer 1

1. the asocial stage
2. indiscriminate attachment
3. specific attachment
4. multiple attachments

Question 2

age: asocial stage

Answer 2

0-2 months

Question 3

age: indiscriminate attachment stage

Answer 3

2-7 months

Question 4

age: specific attachment stage

Answer 4

7-10 months

Question 5

age: multiple attachments stage

Answer 5

10 months+

Question 6

asocial stage

Answer 6

baby is recognising and forming bonds with its carers however the baby’s behaviour towards non-human objects and humans are quite similar

Question 7

indiscriminate attachment stage

Answer 7

-baby displays more observable social behaviour
-prefers people (especially familiar adults) > inanimate objects
-do not show separation or stranger anxiety
-no difference in attachment is shown towards different people

Question 8

specific attachment stage

Answer 8

-start to display stranger and separation anxiety
-baby forms a specific attachment- to their primary attachment figure

Question 9

multiple attachments stage

Answer 9

-attachment behaviour towards one adult usually extends to multiple attachments -> ‘secondary attachments’
-29% of children had formed secondary attachments within a month of forming their primary attachment
-by the age of 1 years old- majority of babies have formed multiple attachments

Question 10

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 10

what the babies show when separated from parents e.g. when adult leaves the room

Question 11

What is stranger anxiety?

Answer 11

infants’ anxiety response to unfamiliar adults

Question 12

aim

Answer 12

to investigate how early attachments were formed and at which age they developed

Question 13

method

Answer 13

observational study
-sample:
60 babies: 31 M and 29 F
from Glasgow
majority from skilled w/c families
-babies and mothers visited in their home every month for first year and again at 18 months
-researcher measured stranger anxiety and separation anxiety

Question 14

results

Answer 14

-age 4-8 months, 50% of babies showed ‘specific attachment’- separation anxiety towards a particular adult
-attachment tended to be the caregiver most interactive, not most time spent with
-by 40 weeks age- 80% of babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments

Question 15

conclusion

Answer 15

children’s attachment changes over time

Question 16

EVALUATION

Answer 16

(: conducted in natural environment- babies’ homes
): unrepresentative sample- w/c backgrounds and all from Glasgow
(: knowing best stages to send children into day-care when don’t show stranger or separation anxiety
): contradicting evidence
VAN IJZENDOORN ET AL (meta analysis) in collectivist cultures, infants form multiple attachments before specific attachments as looked after by so many people