Schaffer's stages of attachment Flashcards
What is attachment?
A close 2 way emotional bond between 2 individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security
What were the 4 stages of attachment outlined by Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
1)Asocial stage
2)indiscriminate stage
3)Specific stage
4)Multiple attachment stage
What is the Asocial stage
-baby’s behaviour towards non human objects and humans is similar,
-show preference to familiar adults (not completely asocial)
-AGE = first few weeks
What is the indiscriminate stage?
-babies display observable social behaviour,
-show a preference for people instead of inanimate object
-recognise familiar adults,
-accept comfort from any adult
- do not usually show separation or stranger anxiety
-Age = 2-7 months
What is the specific attachment stage?
- form primary attachment figure: the person who offers the most interactions and response to babies signals with most skills- in 65% of cases this is the mother
-begin to show stranger anxiety and separation anxiety when separated from primary attachment figure - age = 7-9 months
What is the multiple attachments stage?
-babies form multiple attachments - secondary attachments
-Schaffer and Emerson observed 29% of children form secondary attachments within a month of specific attachment
Outline the procedure of Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment research (1964)
- Researchers visited the houses of 60 babies, 31 boys 29 girls, every month for the 1st year then visited again at 18 months.
-They assessed separation and stranger anxiety.
-Asked mothers questions about the protests babies would make when mother left the room- measuring attachment.
Outline the findings of Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment research (1964)
-Between 25-32 weeks 80% showed signs of separation anxiety
-by 40 weeks, 80% formed specific attachment
-Also found babies attached to the caregiver who is most interactive and sensitive to infants signals not who spent the most time
What are the strengths of Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment research (1964)
-Longitudinal studies: study over 18 months with babies observed regularly each month for a year. This is a good method for observing how attachments are formed.
-Real world application: used in day cares- during asocial and indiscriminate stages babies can be handled by skilled adult but this may be increasingly difficult in specific attachment stage if the adult is an unfamiliar one. This means day-care can now be planned around the stages of attachment.
-Good external validity: babies studied at home - natural environment so behaviour would be natural and normal. Furthermore, no observers which would mean the child would not be anxious and behaviour would not be changed. This means the children behave normally during observation.
HOWEVER, observations were done by parents who may be biased and not objective observers and may not report everything and may misremember times where the child showed signs of distress. This means that whilst natural behaviour is being observed, it may not be recorded accurately.
What are the weaknesses of Schaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment research (1964)
-Limited application: limited sample and small demographic of infants and parents- working class in Glasgow. This means that different cultures and their child-rearing techniques were not observed so these stages might not be the universal system. Also the study was conducted over 50 years ago so parenting methods have changed.
-Poor evidence for asocial stage: asocial stage covers before 2 months of the babies development so they may show distress in subtle and hard to recognise ways as they are immobile and uncoordianted which may have made it hard for mothers to report accurately on signs of anxiety and attachment in this stage. This means that the babies may be quite social, but due to the flawed methods, they seem asocial.
