stages of attachment

Question 1

what was the sample in schaffer and emerson study

Answer 1

60 infants from working class families in glasgow

Question 2

what was the procedure of schaffer and emersons study

Answer 2

recorded and observed attachment behaviours at regular intervals (6 weeks-18 months)
caregivers were asked a series of questions about infants attachment styles (separation anxiety)

Question 3

what elements of attachment did schaffer and emerson measure

Answer 3

separation anxiety
stranger anxiety

Question 4

what were the findings of schaffer and emerson?

Answer 4

by 25-30 weeks, 50% of all infants showed separation anxiety from primary caregiver
some infants showed signs of multiple attachments
infants were closer to caregiver when they were more sensitive
by 40 weeks infants had all developed specific attachments

Question 5

when does indiscriminate attachment occur

Answer 5

birth - 2 months

Question 6

describe indiscriminate attachment stage

Answer 6

infants produce similar responses to inanimate and animate objects
form bonds with everyone

Question 7

when does the beginnings of attachment occur

Answer 7

4 months

Question 8

describe the beginnings of attachment

Answer 8

infants become more sociable and prefer human contact
little to no stranger or separation anxiety

Question 9

when does discriminate attachment occur

Answer 9

7 months old

Question 10

describe discriminate attachments

Answer 10

infants form a strong specific bond to a primary caregiver
crave proximity to caregiver and separation anxiety and stranger anxiety is high

Question 11

when do multiple attachments form

Answer 11

after the main attachment forms

Question 12

describe multiple attachments

Answer 12

infants form secondary attachments to familiar people like siblings
separation anxiety is tolerated in short spells
primary caregiver is established as a safe base

Question 13

what is a strength of schaffer and emerson research

Answer 13

high ecological validity despite being an observation, in comparison to other research into attachment this took place in the infants natural setting, a sense of familiarity so infants behaviours were natural

Question 14

what is wrong with the use of self report measures in schaffer and emerson study

Answer 14

subject to interpretation, mothers may overemphasise their role in attachment or fail to report negative experiences due to social desirability bias, reducing the reliability

Question 15

what is wrong with the sample in schaffer and emerson study

Answer 15

based on working class families in Glasgow from the 60s, may apply to working class but tells us little about attachment through different social classes as well as tells us little about attachment in modern day society as child rearing is supposedly different to that of the 60s, lacks population and historical validity

Question 16

what cultural differences may occur in stages of attachment

Answer 16

in some cultures multiple attachments are the norm, collectivist cultures, israel kibutz setting promote multiple attachments from birth as opposed to being the final stage
limited and cannot be applied cross culturally