Schaffer’s stages of attachment

Question 1

Describe Schaffer and Emerson’s procedure

Answer 1

• 60 babies (31 male, 29 female), Glasgow, skilled working-class
• Researchers visited babies + mothers in their own homes, every month for the first year and again at 18 months
• researchers asked mothers qu’s about babies protest ine veryday separations (measure of separation anxiety)
• assessed stranger anxiety as well

Question 2

Describe Schaffer’s and Emerson’s findings

Answer 2

• identified 4 distincgt stages in development of infant attachment behaviour

Question 3

State the 4 stages of atatchment indentified by Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 3

1. Asocial Stage
2. Indiscriminate attachment
3. Specific attachment
4. Multiple attaachments

Question 4

What is meant the Asocial stage?

Answer 4

• first few weeks of life
• behaviour between humans + inanimate objects is similar
• tend to show preference for familiar people (more easily comforted by these people)

Question 5

What is meant by the Indiscriminate attachment stage?

Answer 5

• 2-7 months
• start to displau obvious social behavious
• clear preferences for familiar people
• accept comfort from any person
• dont usually show separation/stranger anxiety

Question 6

What is meant by the specific attachment stage?

Answer 6

• 7 months+
• separation and stranger anxiety
• specific attachment to primary attachment figure- who offers the most interaction and responds to baby’s signals with the most skill

Question 7

What is meant by the multiple attachments stage?

Answer 7

• 8-9 months
• usually extend to with people who they spend regular time with
• by 1, majority of babies had developed multiple attahcments

Question 8

Strength of Shaffer and Emerson’s study

Answer 8

this study has high validity
Most of the observations were made by parents and then reported to researchers- which would have prevented the babies from feeling anxious
Highly likely the babies behaviour was natural and therefore valid

Question 9

Criticisms of the Schaffer’s study

Answer 9

the mothers were asked to be observers- unlikely to be objective and may have been biased with what they reported
this means that the babies behaviour may not have been accurately recorded

Question 10

Application of this theory

Answer 10

Can be used in day care/nursery scenarios
Caregivers can make informed decisions on when to return to work based on when they have formed an attachment to a primary attachment figure
Ensuring their babies are able to form secondary attachments

Question 11

Is this theory reductionistic?

Answer 11

Yes
suggests that all babies experience the same 4 stages at the same age
Doesn’t take into account children with learning difficulties/neuro-diverse children
Oversimplistic