Stages of attachment*

Question 1

Schaffers stages of attachment

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson- observational study
Formation of early adult-infant attachment

Question 2

Procedure:

Answer 2

• 60 babies-31 boys, 29 girls- researched in their own home
• Asked mothers questions about protest shown in every day separations
• Done to measure babies attachment-assessed stranger anxiety

Question 3

Findings:

Answer 3

• separation anxiety in the majority by 25-32 weeks with strangers-distress in most
• 18 month follow-up-87% developed multiple attachments
• Strongest attachment to mothers

Question 4

How does development occur

Answer 4

development occurs in stages, biologically controlled, quality impacts.

Question 5

Criticism…unrepresentative

Answer 5

lacks temporal validity as may have changed in the last 50 years. Only looking at working class, only 60 babies, not representative of the world

Question 6

Positive…mundane realism

Answer 6

high levels of mundane realism, own homes, stranger visits-normal occurrence

Question 7

Stage 1: Asocial stage - 0-6 weeks

Answer 7

• Similar to humans and inanimate objects
• More content with certain humans/individuals compared to objects

Question 8

Stage 2: indiscriminate attachment- 6 weeks-7 months

Answer 8

• clear preference
• Handled by strangers without distress
• Discriminates between familiar and unfamiliar
• no separation anxiety

Question 9

Stage 3: specific attachment- 7+ months

Answer 9

• separation and stranger anxiety develops
• Preference to caregiver- 65% mother

Question 10

Stage 4: multiple attachment-9+ months

Answer 10

• Attachment to a number of individuals; Dad, sister, grandparents, brother
• Fear of strangers decrease
• Secondary attachments

Question 11

Good external validity

Answer 11

• observations by parents+ ordinary activities
• Highly likely they behave naturally while being observed

Question 12

Counterpoint -bias

Answer 12

• mother being researcher could create bias in terms of what they noticed
• Reported behaviour may not be accurate

Question 13

Poor evidence for asocial

Answer 13

• Anxiety may be portrayed subtly
• May actually be social but appear to be asocial because of flawed methods

Question 14

Real world application - planning daycare

Answer 14

• practical application in daycare
• in asocial and indiscriminate, care is straightforward
• in specific, daycare may be problematic
• Means daycare can be planned using these stages

Question 15

Cultural

Answer 15

• study repeated in China and other places—> same findings
• Not limited to only one culture and all babies have the same stages