schaffer's stages of attachment

Question 1

schaffer and emerson (1964) - procedure

Answer 1

-longitudinal study of 60 Glasgow infants
- they were visited every month for 12 months and at 18 months
- asked mothers questions on the kinds of protests babies showed in everyday situations (designed to measure attachment)
- assessed stranger anxiety

Question 2

stage 1: asocial stage (0-6weeks)

Answer 2

• have similar response to humans and objects but have a preference for eyes
• forms bonds with certain people
• recognises people and forms bonds
• happier in the presence of people

Question 3

stage 2: indicriminate attachment (2months-7months)

Answer 3

• show preference for being with humans
• recognise and prefer company of familiar people but they will accept comfort from anyone
• don’t usually show separation or stranger anxiety
• more socialable

Question 4

stage 3: specific attachments (7months)

Answer 4

• display signs of attachment to a particular person
• show stranger & separation anxiety
• forms specific attachment with primary caregiver
  primary caregiver person who offers the most interaction and responds to signals with the most skill in which it is 65% of times the mother

Question 5

AO3 of study - good external validity/ecological validity (strength)

Answer 5

• observations have been made by parents in the natural environment which means that babies behaved naturally than if a researcher was present due to stranger anxiety

Question 6

stage 4: multiple attachments (7months+)

Answer 6

• secondary attachments = others they regularly spend time with
• observed that these form a month post primary attachment
  by 1 most babies have formed multiple attachments

Question 7

AO3 - poor evidence for asocial stage

Answer 7

• validity of measures used to assess attachment in asocial stage may not be valid
• as young babies have very poor coordination and are immobile = if it feels anxiety they may have displayed it and is difficult to observe
• makes it difficult for mothers to report back to researchers
• means that babies may be social but appear to asocial
• Schaffer and Emerson’s research

Question 8

AO3 - real-world application

Answer 8

• has practical application to daycare
• in asocial & indiscriminate stages daycare is simple as babies can be comforted by anyone
• Schafers and Emerson’s research tells us the daycare may be problematic during specific attachment stage
• means that parents use of daycare can be planned

Question 9

AO3 - good external validity

Answer 9

• observations made by parents were during regular activities
• increases external validity as they may have acted differently if there were researchers there observing them ( no demand characteristics)
• behaviour is more likely to be natural
• mothers may be biased in what they will report back
  may not notice or want to report signs of anxiety ( social desirability bias)

Question 10

AO3 - generalisability

Answer 10

• based on a large-scale study that had good design features
• sample was of babies in the 60s in Glasgow which is very specific culturally & historically
• in other cultures, babies may form multiple attachments from early age
• Recently babies may be raised to be more independent and with a father figure more present than before
• makes it difficult to generalise findings