stages of attachment

Question 1

outline the procedure of Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 1

• longitudinal study, 60 Glaswegian infants
• studied in own home at monthly intervals for the first 18 months
• mothers asked to keep diary of infants behaviours based on: separation anxiety, stranger anxiety and social referencing (how often infant looks at carer to check how they should respond to something new)

Question 2

what is sensitive responsiveness

Answer 2

infant attached to person that accurately responds to their signals, not the person they spend most time with

Question 3

what stages of attachment did Schaffer identify

Answer 3

1. asocial (0-6 weeks) - similar response to all objects and people
2. indiscriminate (6 weeks - 6 months) more social, more response to human company, comforted by anyone
3. discriminate attachments (7-9 months) - separation anxiety when put down, prefer one carer, stranger anxiety
4. multiple attachments (10+ months) - seeks comfort from multiple people as well as separation anxiety for multiple people

Question 4

weaknesses of schaffer and emerson’s study

Answer 4

• lacks population validity = glasgow, working class, small sample size -> can’t be generalised
• lacks internal validity = use of self-report method of diary, accuracy may be low due to social desirability bias or lack of details or demand characteristics
• lack of objectivity = asocial stage cannot be studied objectively as children as young as 6 weeks lack basic motor coordination skills, meaning ‘separation anxiety’ may not be deliberate -> cannot establish cause and effect