Schaffers stages of attachment Flashcards
who proposed the stages of attachment
Schaffer and Emerson
name the four stages of attachment
- Asocial stage
- Indiscriminate attachment
- Specific Attachment
- Multiple attachments
outline stage one of attachment
Asocial stage:
- behaviour is similar towards inanimate objects and humans
- baby is forming bonds with some people
outline stage two of attachment
Indiscriminate stage:
- preference for humans over inanimate objects
- no separation/ stranger anxiety
- accepting of anyone
outline stage three of attachment
Specific Attachment:
- attachment to one person
- separation and stranger anxiety
- forms primary caregiver with mother in 65% cases
define a primary caregiver
the person who interacts and responds to babies the most
outline stage four of attachment
Multiple Attachments:
- formation of secondary attachment
- 29% babies form secondary attachments after forming primary attachments
outline the research that led to the stages of attachment
- researchers visited babies and their mothers in their homes
- visited every month for a year and then again at 18 months
- researchers asked mothers if their child displayed signs of separation anxiety
- they also measured stranger anxiety
the findings of the research led to ___________
the stages of attachment
name two strengths of Schaffers stages of attachment
- good external validity, due to the fact that mothers recorded the baby, reducing demand characteristics and bias
- it has good practical application, as the stages can be applied to daytime care, meaning that children can receive the best care
name two limitations of Schaffer’s stages of attachment
- poor validity, as babies actions can be mislabelled due to their small movements, which makes them subjective
- culture bias, due to the fact the research was conducted in western culture, it may not be applicable to a wider audience
