Schaffer's stages of attachment Flashcards
A01
What was the aim of Schaffer & Emerson study(1964)
To identify stages of attachment
Schaffer & Emerson developed an account of how attachment behaviours change as a baby gets older
proposed 4 stages of attachment
A01
What are the 4 stages of Attachment according to
Schaffer and Emerson
- Stage 1: Asocial stage
- stage 2: Indiscriminate stage
- stage 3: Specific attachment
- stage 4: Multiple attachments
A01
Stage 1: Asocial Stage
In babies first few weeks- observable behaviours towards inanimate objects & humans similar, (thus asocial)
>but Babies show preference towards company of familar people
> This stage forms bonds with certain people
A01
Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment
from 2-7 months
>babies display observable social behaviours
> show preference for ppl than inanimate object
>recognise company of familar people
>accept comfort from anyone
> do not show signs of seperation/stranger anxiety
A01
Stage 3: Specific attachments
forms around 7 months
>Babies show classical signs of attachment:
>stranger anxiety & separation anxiety
> At this stage baby forms specific attachments with their primary attachment figure
primary attachment figure -the p who offers most interaction & responsiv
Stranger anxety - distress directed towards strangers when attachment figure is absent
Seperation anxiety-distress when seperated from their attachment figure
A01
Stage 4: Multiple Attachmnets
- from 9 months..
infant forms multiple attachments & seeks security, comfort in multiple people whom they regularly spend time with -called secondary attachments
They may also show separation anxiety for multiple people - Shaffer & Emerson observed that 29% of children formed secondary attachments within a month of forming a primary attachment
*A01
Outline the procedure of Schaffer& Emerson’s research
Schaffer & Emerson based their stage theory on an observational study of the formation of early infant -adult attachments
Procedure:
The study- involved 60 babies-31 males, 29 females, majority from skilled WC families in Glasgow
● They analysed interactions between infants & carers
● mother kept a diary to track the infant’s
behaviours based on measures :
Separation Anxiety - signs of distress when the carer leaving, and
how much the infant needs to be comforted when the carer returns
Stranger Anxiety - signs of distress as a response to a stranger
arriving
● It was a longitudinal study lasting 18 months
● They visited the infants on a monthly basis and once again at
the end of the 18 month period.
In exam idetify both seperation & stranger anxiety
A01
What were the findings of Schaffer& Emerson’s research
Findings:
found that babies of parents who had ‘sensitive
responsiveness’-more likely to have formed an attachment.
found that sensitive responsiveness more important than
amount of time spent with baby
, so infants formed more attachments with those who spent less time with but more sensitive to their needs.
sensitive responsiveness- adults pay careful attention to infants communications & signals
A01
Define Sensitive responsiveness
- how sensitive a caregiver is to their baby’s needs.
- Caregivers who have a high degree of sensitive responsiveness sensitive to the baby’s needs, respond quickly when the baby tries to interact with them.
A03
Schaffer & Emerson’s study good external validity-made in own homes
Good external validity
Good external validity -as Most observations made by parents in own homes
* study had high level of mundane realism
* as highly likely p behaved naturally when observed & when strangers visited
* families reported back->Incorperating self report-reseachers used process of triangulation
triangulation-using 2 diff research methods & getting same result
A03
counterpount for good external validity, mothers unlikely to be objective observers
Limitation
study lacks internal valdity
Parents used self report methods -kept a daily diary.
mothers unlikely to be objective observers
>bias of their report
>e.g not noticed signs of anxiety
>means if babies behaved naturally behaviour not accurately observed
> parents may be subject to social desirability bias, may skew reports so they appear closer to what they see as socially desirable
External validity- extent to which results from a study can be applied (generalized) to other situations, groups, or events.
AO3
Schaffer & Emersons study
Application in daycare
Strength
Schaffer & Emerson’s stages-practical applications in day care
>In Asocial & indiscriminate attachment, babies can be comforted by any skilled adult,
>Schaffer & Emerson’s research shows- daycare with unfamilar adult -problematic during specific attachment
Parents use of day care can be planned using Schaffer and Emersons stages.
A03
poor evidence for Asocial stage -limitation of Schaffer & Emerson’s study
Poor evidence for Asocial stage
Poor evidence for asocial stage
lack of validly for measuring asocial stage
>Young babies have poor co-ordination & immobile
if infants felt anxiety displayed it in subtle, ways
> difficult to observe & report
> thus flawed method for babies in asocial stage
