Schaffer’s 4 Stages of Attachment Flashcards
What is the 1st Stage of Attachment??
The Asocial Stage
When does the Asocial Stage take place?
In the first few weeks of an infant’s life
What are the characteristics of the Asocial Stage?
There is little difference in the infant’s behaviour** towards inanimate objects and humans**, though there are some signs they prefer people- especially familiar people
What is the 2nd Stage of attachment?
Indiscriminate Attachment
When does Indiscriminate Attachment take place?
Between 2-7 months
What are the characteristics of Indiscriminate Attachment?
The infant’s behaviour indicates that they prefer to be with people, and they tend to accept comfort and physical contact from anyone. However, there are signs that they recognise and prefer familiar people
What is the 3rd Stage of Attachment?
Specific Attachment
When does Specific Attachment take place?
Around 7 months
What are the characteristics of Specific Attachment?
The infant displays classic signs of attachment behaviour (e.g., separation anxiety and proximity-seeking) towards the primary caregiver
In what percentage of cases does the mother take on the role of primary caregiver?
65%
What is the 4th Stage of attachment?
Multiple Attachments
When does Multiple Attachments take place?
Typically by 1 year
What are the characteristics of Multiple Attachments?
The infant extends their attachment behaviour to multiple people
Who is the primary caregiver?
The person who is most responsive to the babies signals
What are later attachments that follow the infant’s attachment to their primary caregiver known as?
Secondary attachments
How many Stages of Attachment did Schaffer identify?
4
In order, what the 4 Stages of Attachment identified by Schaffer?
- The Asocial Stage
- Indiscriminate Attachment
- Specific Attachment
- Multiple Attachments
Describe Emerson & Schaffer’s Study into the 4 Stages of Attachment
- They studied 60 babies at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of their lives
- Their interactions with their caregivers were observed and the carers were interviewed
- The caregivers kept a diary to detail the attachment behaviour exhibited by their babies (e.g. stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, secure base behaviour)
- From this, Schaffer identified 4 distinct stages of attachment
What is Emerson & Schaffer’s Study into the 4 Stages of Attachment high in?
External validity and ecological validity, as observations were made by caregivers (a familiar person) in a natural, home environment
What was the experimental design of Emerson & Schaffer’s Study into the 4 Stages of Attachment and how does this increase its validity?
Longitudinal design, meaning it reduces the chance of individual differences acting as a confounding variable, as the same infants were followed as they progressed through each stage
What is one practical application of Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment?
It can help parents identify when is the best time for infants to start nursery with an unfamiliar adult, therefore aiding parents to make informed decisions and reducing infant stress
Why has Schaffer & Emerson’s Study into the Stages of Attachment been criticised? (2 Points)
- Due to the caregivers dual-role as an observer, increasing the risk of bias and inaccuracies
- Lack of generalisability, as it only studied infants from individualistic cultures in the same area of the UK
What study contradicts Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment and why?
Van Ljzendoorn’s meta-analysis, which found that multiple attachments can appear first, especially in collectivistic cultures
