Stages of attachment

Question 1

asocial stage

Answer 1

• 0-2 months
• similar behaviour between humans and non-humans
• recognise and prefer specific faces
• prefer faces to non-faces, smile at anyone

Question 2

indiscriminate attachments

Answer 2

• 2-7 months
• prefer human/people over non-human/object company
• can distinguish between people
• no stranger anxiety

Question 3

discriminate (specific) attachments

Answer 3

• 7-12 months
• prefer 1 caregiver, separation and stranger anxiety
• joy upon reunion, security and comfort

Question 4

multiple attachments

Answer 4

• 12 month+
• attach to several different people w/ whom they spend time with
• form secondary attachments

Question 5

who are the key researchers?

Answer 5

Schaffer and Emerson

Question 6

what was the aim of the research?

Answer 6

to examine the formation of early attachments

Question 7

what was the research procedure?

Answer 7

• 60 babies from working class families in glasgow
• visited every 4 wks, and once again at 18 months
• at each visit mothers report: infant response to separation in 7 everyday situations, and response to unfamiliar adults

Question 8

what were the research findings?

Answer 8

• 50% of babies showed separation anxiety between 25-32 wks
• by 40 wks, 80% of babies had a specific attachment and 30% displayed multiple attachments
• attached to most interactive caregiver

Question 9

what are the strengths of schaffer and Emerson?

Answer 9

• high ecological validity e.g. research done in family homes w/ parents as observers so very reflective of irl
• longitudinal study e.g. same children followed instead of comparing groups so reduced ppt variables

Question 10

What are the limitations of Schaffer and Emerson?

Answer 10

• lacks generalisabiity e.g. sample consists of 60 babies so unrepresentative
• suffers from social desirability bias e.g mothers may have been influenced by research/lied to make themselves look better