schaffer's stages of attachment Flashcards
what was the aim of schaffer and emerson’s study?
to investigate the formation of early attachment; particularly the age at which they developed, their emotional intensity and to whom they were directed
what was the procedure of schaffer and emerson’s study?
- 60 babies (31 male, 29 female) from skilled working-class families in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Babies and mothers were visited at home every month for the first year, and then at 18 months.
- Mothers were asked questions about the kind of protest their babies showed in everyday situations, e.g. adult leaving the room (a measure of separation anxiety).
- They also assessed stranger anxiety – the infant’s anxiety response to unfamiliar adults
what were the findings of schaffer and emerson’s study?
- Between 25 and 32 weeks of age, around 50% of babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult, usually the mother (specific attachment).
- Attachment tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions (reciprocity) – this was not necessarily the person the infant spent the most time with.
- By the age of 40 weeks, 80% of babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments.
what did they propose from their findings?
attachments develop in 4 stages
what are the 4 stages and when do they occur?
Asocial stage (0-8 weeks)
Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months)
Specific attachment (7-12 months)
Multiple attachments (1 year onwards)
what happens in the asocial stage?
Age: 0-8 weeks
- Not really social, as the baby is recognizing and forming bonds with its carers
- Behaviour towards humans and objects is similar
- Show some preference for familiar adults (easily calmed by them)
- Happier in the presence of other humans
what happens in the indiscriminate stage?
Age: 2-7 months
- Display more observable social behaviour
- Preference for people rather than inanimate objects
- Recognise and prefer familiar adults
- Accept comfort/cuddles from any adult – do not usually show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety
- Indiscriminate attachment behaviour – not different towards any one person
what happens in the specific stage?
Age: 7-12 months
- Start to display anxiety towards strangers
- Become anxious when separated from one particular adult (the biological mother in 65% of cases) – baby has formed a specific attachment
This adult (usually the mother) is termed the primary attachment figure
- Not necessarily the person the baby spends most time with, but the one who shows most interaction and sensitivity to the baby’s ‘signals’
what happens in the multiple stage?
Age: 1 year onwards
- Start to extend attachment behaviour to multiple attachments with other adults they have regular contact with
- These relationships are called secondary attachments
In their study, Schaffer & Emerson found that 29% of child formed secondary attachments within a month of forming a primary (specific attachment)
By the age of 1, the majority of infants had formed multiple attachments
2 weaknesses of schaffer and emerson’s stages of attachment
asocial stage difficult to study - newborn’s have poor coordination and are generally immobile - hard to make judgements based on observation - can’t draw solid conclusions
stages are culturally relative - sagi found infants raised in individualist cultures were twice as close to their mothers compared to those in collectivist cultures - only studied individualist = universality - not valid for all
1 strength of schaffer and emerson’s stages of attachment
research support has good external validity - families in natural environment and most observations done during regular activities - infants behaviours unlikely to be effected by observers presence
