Shaffer’s Stages Of Attachment

Question 1

What is Schaffer and Emerson’s (1964) study?

Answer 1

• Glasgow babies from majority WC families
• Mother asked to keep a diary
• researcher visited in their own homes asked them about everyday separation
• they identified 4 distinct stages in the development of infant attachment behaviour

Question 2

Schaffer and Emerson’s first stage of attachment

Answer 2

Asocial stage
- treats inanimate objects and humans fairly similarly
- not completely asocial as babies tend to show preference to familiar people
- at this stage baby is forming bonds

Question 3

Schaffer and Emerson’s second stage of attachment

Answer 3

Indiscriminate attachment
- from 2-7 months
- clear preference of humans over inanimate object’s
- accept cuddles and comfort from anyone
- show no separation anxiety or stranger anxiety

Question 4

Schaffer and Emerson’s third stage of attachment

Answer 4

Specific attachment
- from around 7 months
- display signs of attachment to one particular person
- experience stranger anxiety and separation anxiety
- forms an attachment with a primary attachment figure

Question 5

Schaffer and Emerson’s third stage of attachment

Answer 5

Specific attachment
- from around 7 months
- display signs of attachment to one particular person
- experience stranger anxiety and separation anxiety
- forms an attachment with a primary attachment figure

Question 6

Schaffer and Emerson’s fourth stage of attachment

Answer 6

Multiple attachment
- extend attachment behaviour to multiple attachments
- these relationships are called secondary attachments
- by age 1 majority of babies had developed multiple attachments

Question 7

Criticisms of Schaffer and Emerson’s research
(W/ counterpoint)

Answer 7

• lacks population validity
• sample consisted of 60 WC mothers and babies from Glasgow who may form different attachment compared to infants from other countries of wealthier families
• can’t generalise the results
• high external validity, as they were in a natural environment and can generalise to children with similar demographics

Question 8

Criticism of Schaffer and Emerson’s research

Answer 8

• possibility of social desirability bias
• they interviewed the mother who may not have been truthful/ accurate in order to appear like ‘better’ mothers
• this would reduce the internal validity since natural behaviour was not recorded

Question 9

Problem with Schaffer and Emerson’s theory of the stages of attachment (w/ counterargument)

Answer 9

• asocial stage is difficult to study
• e.g babies have poor co-ordination and pretty immobile
• Therefore difficult to make judgement about their behaviour
• observations cannot be relied on
• however it has lead to real life applications in day care

Question 10

Weakness of Schaffer and Emerson’s theory

Answer 10

• conflicting evidence from different t cultures on multiple attachments
• not clear when multiple attachments happen
• e.g when multiple caregivers are the norm, multiple attachments may be form the outset
• their theory can be criticised as being ethnocentric