Schaffer And Emerson’s Stages Of Attachment

Question 1

What is the stages of attachment?

Answer 1

• Series of developmental stages leading to attachment formation recorded by Schaffer and Emerson

Question 2

What is multiple attachments?

Answer 2

• Infants are able to form attachments with others as well as a primary caregiver if they have successfully passed through the stages of attachment.

Question 3

Schaffer and Emerson’s Aim

Answer 3

• To investigate the formation of early attachments, particularly the age at which they developed, emotional intensity and whom they were directed towards.

Question 4

Schaffer and Emerson’s Procedure

Answer 4

• Studied 60 babies at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of life.
• From working class communities in Glasgow.
• Children were studied in own home and a regular pattern was identified in development of attachment.
• Babies were visited monthly for approx 18 months.
• Interactions with caregivers were observed and carers were interviewed.
• Evidence for the development of an attachment was that the baby showed separation anxiety after the carer left.

Question 5

Schaffer and Emerson’s Findings

Answer 5

• Attachment formation seemed to occur in clear stages.

Question 6

What stage of attachment is an infant in at 0-3 months?

Answer 6

• Asocial stage - show no recognition that humans and objects are different. At 6 weeks infants begin to treat other humans differently from objects. Show some general preferences to familiar adults but these are not attachments.

Question 7

What stage of attachment is an infant in at 3-7 months?

Answer 7

• Indiscriminate attachment - social behaviour is shown more often. Clear preference for human company develops and familiar adults are recognised. Comfort is accepted from any adult and no specific attachment formed.

Question 8

What stage of attachment is an infant in at 7-9 months?

Answer 8

• Discriminate attachment - baby looks to particular people for security comfort and protection. Stranger anxiety. Separation anxiety. Some babies show these more frequently and intensely than other. Baby has formed an attachment. Usually developed by one year of age.

Question 9

What stage of attachment is an infant in at 9+ months?

Answer 9

• Multiple attachments - attachments develop with other people. Original attachment remains the strongest. Secondary attachments with adults who infant spends time with often.

Question 10

When are multiple attachments formed?

Answer 10

• Several attachments by 10 months. Mother was main attachment figure for about half of the children at 18 months and father for most of the others.
• Attachment is not who feeds and changes the chime but who plays and communicates with him or her.

Question 11

Schaffer and Emerson’s Conclusion

Answer 11

• Attachments are formed in stages and can eventually lead to multiple attachments. Quality of care influences attachments and mother may not be the attachment figure if someone else provided better quality care.

Question 12

Evaluation of Schaffer and Emerson - methodology

Answer 12

• Benefits of using longitudinal studies.
• Ensures the same infants are measured over the full period of the research.
• Strength - eliminated confounding variable of individual differences. Good internal validity.

Question 13

Evaluation of Schaffer and Emerson - Good ecological validity

Answer 13

• Naturalistic observation. High in ecological validity.
• Mothers and infants were observed at home doing normal activities. Many observations were carried out by the families and reported to the researchers which would limit the impact of the presence of researcher on behaviour.
• Strength - conducted in a natural environment, behaviours produced would be more natural. Increases validity of data.

Question 14

Evaluation of Schaffer and Emerson - lacks population validity

Answer 14

• Sample issues. All families lived in one area of Glasgow and from same working class background.
• Might be particular child bearing practices that are unique to this community and may not be found in other communities.
• Weakness - sample is not representative of the wider population and cannot be generalised outside of Glasgow.

Question 15

Evaluation of Schaffer and Emerson - lacks cultural validity

Answer 15

• Culturally biased favouring Scottish families.
• Child rearing practices vary significantly across other countries and cultures which might also affect influence attachments in infants.
• Weakness - results can not be generalised access social and cultural contexts.

Question 16

Evaluation of stages of attachment - cultural bias

Answer 16

• Model is based on attachments in an individualistic culture and might not reflect the formation of attachments in collectivist cultures.
• Sagi et al compared attachment formation in individualistic and collectivist cultures and found that infants can form multiple attachments before they form single attachments which suggest that the rigid ordering of Schaffer and Emerson’s stages is not universal.
• Weakness - stage theory may not be adequate explanation of developments of attachment.

Question 17

Evaluation of stages of attachment - measuring the asocial stage

Answer 17

• Due to the round age of these infants it is very difficult to measure where they are up to with attachment formation.
• Infant’s eye sight, motor coordination and mobility are so underdeveloped that judgements of behaviour are guesses. Their Brian’s may be highly social but the behavioural evidence can not conclusively show this.
• Weakness - we can not rely on this evidence as the infants may have just been a random occurrence.

Question 18

Evaluation of stages of attachment - measuring multiple attachments

Answer 18

• Just because a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the room does not necessarily mean that individual is a true attachment type. Bowlby pointed out that children have playmates and may get distressed when they leave the room but this doesn’t signify attachment.
• Weakness - means it is difficult to measure if multiple attachments have really been formed.

Question 19

Evaluation of stages of attachment - practical applications

Answer 19

• Theory can be used to find out if a child is developing normally and making attachments.
• If a child gets to a certain age and has not formed a specific attachment then intervention strategies can be followed to ensure the child is developing on a more normal route.
• Strength - theory can be used to help parents and procedures can be put into pace to aid the child’s development.