Schaffer's Stages of Attachment

Question 1

Stages of attachment

Answer 1

• Schaffer and Emerson studied babies’ attachment behaviour
• Found 4 identifiable stages, which is observed in all babies, with qualitatively different behaviours linked at specific ages
• Occur in the same order

Question 2

Stage 1 - Asocial Stage

Answer 2

• In first few weeks of life - are forming bonds with certain ppl which form basis for later attachment
• Behaviour towards humans and inanimate objects is v similiar
• However there seems to prefer being w/ other people especially familiar people for comfort

Question 3

Stage 2 - Indiscriminate attachment

Answer 3

• from month 2-7 - babies display more obvious social behaviours w/ a preference for people over inanimate objects
• Recognises + prefer company of familiar ppl but will accept comfort from anyone
• No separation or stranger anxiety

Question 4

Stage 3 - Specific attachment

Answer 4

• Aronud month 7 - displays classic signs of attachment to 1 person - primary attachment figure
• The person who offers the most interaction + responds to baby’s signals (is the mother 65% of the time)
• Shows separation and stranger anxiety

Question 5

Stage 4 - Multiple attachment

Answer 5

• After stage 3: extends stranger and separation anxiety to others the baby regularly spends time with - secondary attachment
• Schaffer and Emerson observed this in 29% of children within a month of forming PA
• By 1 year old most babies have

Question 6

Schaffer + Emerson’s Research

Answer 6

P: 60 babies from Glasgow visited in own home monthly for a year and at 18 months + asked mothers about babies behaviours towards everyday separation

F: Identified the 4 stages of attachement

Question 7

(S) Good External Validity - AO3

Answer 7

Most observations were made by parents and reported to researchers rather than researchers being there recording
=> might have distracted the babies or made them anxious

MEANS likely pps behaved naturally while being observed making results more general

Question 8

(L) Counter to Good External Validity - AO3

Answer 8

Mothers as observers are unlikely to be objective
- Biased in what they notice and report like not reporting/misunderstanding signs of anxiety

MEANS even if babies behaved naturally may not be accurately recorded

Question 9

(L) Poor evidence for asocial stage due to measures used

Answer 9

• Young babies (<2months) have poor co-ordination/ fairly immobile so if they felt anxiety in everyday situations would be subtle and hard to observe
• Difficult for mothers to observe and report back
  MEANS babies may be quite social but flawed methods show otherwise