Schaffer's stages of attachment Flashcards
1
Q
What research procedure did Schaffer and Emerson conduct?
A
- 60 working-class babies from Glasgow, researchers visited the homes of the families every month for a year
- asked mothers questions about how the baby acted in 7 different separations to measure attachment
- also assessed stranger anxiety
2
Q
What did Schaffer and Emersons research help them develop?
A
- four distinct stages of attachment
3
Q
What are the four stages of attachment?
A
- Asocial stage
- Indiscriminate stage
- Specific attachments
- Multiple attachments
4
Q
What is the Asocial stage?
A
- Similar behaviour towards humans and objects but prefers humans
- first few weeks
5
Q
What is the Indiscriminate stage?
A
- 2-7 months
- definite preference for humans, some recognition
6
Q
What is Specific attachment?
A
- from 7 months
- attachment to one adult, stranger anxiety
7
Q
What is Multiple attachments?
A
- Shortly after forming specific attachments
- display separation anxiety towards other caregivers too
8
Q
What increases the external validity of Schaffer and Emerson’s research
A
- Observations were mostly made by parents during ordinary activities, instead of having a researcher present that may have distracted the baby/made it feel more anxious and therefore made the result inaccurate
9
Q
Is there an issue with Social Desirability Bias in this experiment, if so how?
A
- As it is the mother of the baby making the observations, they may be prone to social desirability bias as they want to present their child as securely attached this would decrease the internal validity of the experiment
10
Q
How can the research be applied to the real-world?
A
- In daycare Shaffer and Emersons research suggest it may be difficult for a child in the specific attachment stage to begin/ be in daycare due to high levels of stranger anxiety - allows provisions to be put into place to help the child
