stages of attachment

Question 1

what was the study conducted by Schaffer and Emerson about?

Answer 1

using naturalistic observations 60 infants were observed every month for a year measuring attachment levels by:

• levels of separation protest: 4 POINT scale on everday situations
• stranger anxiety: response to interviewer

Question 2

what were the results of Schaffer and Emerson’s study?

Answer 2

+39% of infants formed a primary attachment to someone who didn’t feed or bathe the infant

+87% at 18 months >1

+50% at 10 months had >1

+29% at 7 months=3 attachments and 10% had 5

Question 3

what can we conclude from Schaffer’s and Emerson’s study?

Answer 3

that we form more attachments as we get older

Question 4

what was the first stage of attachment developed from Schaffer and Emerson’s study?

Answer 4

Asocial stage between 0-5 weeks

infant produces similar response to objects and people
as can’t tell difference
but no preference for specifics
smiling

Question 5

what was the second stage of attachment developed from Schaffer and Emerson’s study?

Answer 5

Indiscriminate attachment stage 6weeks-7months

CAN tell people apart and more social
CAN distinguish who are strangers
NO stranger anxiety

Question 6

what was the third stage of attachment developed from Schaffer and Emerson’s study?

Answer 6

Specific attachment stage 7-11 months

show separation and stranger anxiety
form primary attachments to 1 specific person
from 9 MONTHS can form subsequent attachments

Question 7

what was the fourth stage of attachment developed from Schaffer and Emerson’s study?

Answer 7

Multiple attachments 11+ months

several attachments to important people— family
separation anxiety to secondary attachments

Question 8

2 strengths of Schaffer and Emerson stages of attachment

Answer 8

+research (include % and what the results imply)

+Practical applications as can be used socially (in nurseries) to distinguish if a child is suffering from abnormal development to lead to supporting child

Question 9

2 weaknesses of schaffer and emerson stages of attachment

Answer 9

-there are methodological problems:
.observed in infants home (unnatural behaviour/lacks validity)
.limited sample as only from Scotland
.4 point scale could be bias

-the study is culturally specific (individualistic culture)