Stages Of Attachment

Question 1

What are the stages of attachment?

Answer 1

1. Asocial
2. Indiscriminate attachment
3. Specific attachment
4. Multiple attachment

Question 2

1. Asocial

Answer 2

• 0-6 weeks.
• Babies display innate behaviours (crying / smiling) that ensure proximity to primary caregiver.
• As their perceptual ability is limited, they will also display these behaviours to non-human objects.
• Anyone can comfort them, as they do not prefer any individual caregiver.

Question 3

2. Indiscriminate attachment

Answer 3

• 6 weeks - 7 months.
• Infants develop the ability to tell the difference between humans and objects and between familiar and unfamiliar individuals, smiling more at people they see frequently.
• They do not yet show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety.

Question 4

3. Specific attachment

Answer 4

• 7-9 months.
• Babies form a strong attachment to a primary caregiver, most often their mother.
• Separation and stranger anxiety develop.

Question 5

4. Multiple attachment

Answer 5

• 9/10 months +
• The infant starts to form attachments with other regular caregivers (like fathers, grandparents, siblings).
• Stranger anxiety starts to decrease.

Question 6

Schaffer & Emerson findings

Answer 6

• Separation anxiety occurred in most babies by 25-32 weeks, with stranger distress occurring in babies approximately 1 month later.
• In the 18-month follow-up, 87% had developed multiple attachments; the strongest was to those mothers with consistent caregiver-infant interaction.