Stages of Attachment

Question 1

Outline Schaffer and Emerson’s study.

Answer 1

Aim was to identify stages of attachment in the development of an attachment between infants and parents.

-Sample consisted of 60 babies from Glasgow from the same estate.
-Analysed interactions between infants and carers.
-Mothers kept a diary where they tracked the infant’s behaviours based on: separation anxiety, stranger anxiety and social referencing.

-Longitudinal study which lasted 18 months, infants visited on a monthly basis.

Question 2

What were the findings from Schaffer and Emerson’s study ?

Answer 2

-Babies whose parents had sensitive responsiveness were more likely to have formed an attachment.
-Found that sensitive responsiveness was more important than the amount of time spent with the baby.
-Attachments formed when the carer communicated and played with the child rather than when they fed them.

Question 3

What were the 4 different stages of attachment found in Schaffer and Emerson’s study ?

Answer 3

1. Asocial stage: 0-6 weeks
   infant responds to objects and people
   similarly, responds more to faces and
   eyes.
2. Indiscriminate attachments: 6 weeks-6 months
   develops more
   responses to human
   company, can tell a
   difference between
   people and can be
   comforted by anyone.
3. Specific attachment: 7 months and over
   infant begins to prefer one
   particular carer and seeks
   comfort, security and protection
   in certain people.
   start to show stranger and
   separation anxiety.
4. Multiple attachments: 11 months and over
   infant forms many attachments and seeks comfort, security and protection in multiple people.
   may also show separation anxiety for multiple people.

Question 4

Give 2 limitations of Schaffer and Emerson’s study.

Answer 4

Lacks population validity due to all infants being from Glasgow.
Sample only consisted of 60 families and so is unrepresentative. Results therefore cannot be generalised.

Study may lack internal validity due to the self report method. Parents may have not included all details due to being busy, they may also be subject to social desirability bias. Parents may have skewed their reports so they appear closer to what they see as socially acceptable.

2. Babies do not do much during the ‘asocial stage’.

During the asocial stage, babies do not have the motor coordination skills, are largely immobile and cannot speak. This means that judgments are being made about babies social behaviour without much proof - we also have to infer as babies cannot tell us why they are doing something.

Therefore, research into the asocial stage of attachment lacks internal validity as we cannot be sure as to why a baby is behaving in a certain way as they cannot speak and do not yet know how to reflect their feelings.

Question 5

Give one strength of Schaffer and Emmerson’s study.

Answer 5

Real life application.

The stages of attachment developed by the researchers can be useful for nursery care when dealing with infants. The researchers showed that during the asocial and indiscriminate stage, an infant has not developed specific attachments and so can be comforted by any adult meaning this is the best time for children to go to nursery. This will allow for parents to return to work during the asocial stage and indiscriminate stage knowing they are not causing distress to their child.

Therefore, the stages of attachment are useful in helping parents decide when to go back to work and carry on with their normal life.