Schaffer's Stages of Attachment

Question 1

What are the Stages of Attachment?

Answer 1

1) Asocial Attachments
2) Indiscriminate Attachments
3) Discriminate (specific) Attachments
4) Multiple Attachments

Question 2

What ages do Asocial Attachments apply to?

Answer 2

From birth to 2 months.

Question 3

What are Asocial Attachments?

Answer 3

When an infant shows similar responses to objects and people. Although towards the end of this stage, they do display a preference for faces/eyes.

Question 4

What ages do Indiscriminate Attachments apply to?

Answer 4

From 2-6 months.

Question 5

What are Indiscriminate Attachments?

Answer 5

When an infant shows a preference for human company over non-human company. They can distinguish between different people, but are comforted indiscriminately (by anyone) and do not show stranger anxiety yet.

Question 6

What ages do Discriminate (specific) Attachments apply to?

Answer 6

From 7-12 months.

Question 7

What are Discriminate (specific) Attachments?

Answer 7

When an infant shows a preference for one caregiver, displaying separation and stranger anxiety. The infant looks to a particular person for security and protection. The infant shows joy upon reunion and are comforted by their primary caregiver.

Question 8

What ages do Multiple Attachments apply to?

Answer 8

One year onwards.

Question 9

What are Multiple Attachments?

Answer 9

When attachment behaviours are now displayed towards several different people, e.g. siblings, grandparents, etc. and are sometimes referred to as secondary attachments. They typically form in the first month after the primary attachment is formed and the number of multiple attachments which develop depends on the social circle to whom the infant is exposed.

Question 10

Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Aim

Answer 10

To examine the formation of early attachments.

Question 11

Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Method

Answer 11

Their sample consisted of 60 babies (31 males and 29 females) from working class families in Glasgow aged between 5-23 weeks at the start of the investigation. The researchers visited the babies in their homes, every month for the first 12 months and then once again at 18 months. The researchers interviewed the mothers and observed the children in relation to separation and stranger anxiety in a range of everyday activities.

Question 12

Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Findings

Answer 12

The results provided some support for the different stages of developing attachment. At around 25-32 weeks, 50% of the children showed separation anxiety towards their mothers, expected of the discriminate attachment stage and 30% had started to form multiple attachments.

Question 13

Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - Conclusion

Answer 13

The findings provide some support for Schaffer’s stages of attachment and suggest that attachment develops through a series of stages across the first year of life.

Question 14

Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment - Strength

Answer 14

(Refer to key study by Schaffer and Emerson (1964))

Question 15

Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment - Strength

Answer 15

One strength of Schaffer and Emerson’s research is that it has high external validity. Schaffer and Emerson conducted the observations in each child’s own home which means that the children and parents were more likely to act naturally. Therefore, the study has good external validity as the results are likely to apply to other children from a similar demographic in their own homes.

Question 16

Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment - Weakness

Answer 16

A criticism of Schaffer’s research is that it lacks population validity. The sample consisted of only 60 working class mothers and babies from Glasgow, who may form very different attachments with their infants when compared with wealthier families from other countries. Therefore, we are unable to generalise the results of this study to mothers and babies from other countries and backgrounds as their behaviour might not be comparable.

Question 17

Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment - Weakness

Answer 17

Schaffer and Emerson’s research is also criticised due to the possibility of social desirability bias. Schaffer and Emerson interviewed the mothers about their children and some of them may not have reported accurate details about their children, to appear like ‘better’ mothers with secure attachments. This could cause a bias in the data that would reduce the internal validity of the findings since natural behaviour will not have been recorded about the stages of attachment.