Stages of Attachment

Question 1

What are the 4 stages of attachment

Answer 1

Asocial stage, Indiscriminate attachment, Specific attachment, Multiple attachment

Question 2

When does the Asocial Stage occur

Answer 2

First Few Weeks

Question 3

What occurs during the asocial stage

Answer 3

Baby responds to people and inanimate objects in the same way.
Some slight preference for familiar people. (easier to calm)
Babies are happier in general in the presence of people.

Question 4

When does the indiscriminate stage occur

Answer 4

2-7 Months

Question 5

What occurs during indiscriminate stage

Answer 5

More observable behaviour in general.
A preference for people over objects
Recognise familiar people
Attachment is called indiscriminate as they are the same towards all people.
Do not yet show stranger or separation anxiety.

Question 6

When does the indiscriminate stage occur

Answer 6

From 7 months +

Question 7

What occurs during the specific attachment stage

Answer 7

Show stranger anxiety and separation anxiety when separated from one particular person.
Specific attachment to PRIMARY CARE GIVER.
Most likely the person who offers most interaction and responds well to signals.
(mother in 65% of cases)

Question 8

When does multiple attachment stage occur

Answer 8

10 months +

Question 9

What occurs during the multiple attachment stage

Answer 9

Secondary attachments form
29% have a secondary attachment within a month of primary.
By 1 year old most have multiple attachment.

Question 10

What is the issue with studying the asocial stage

Answer 10

it is very difficult to gather any meaningful data from infants at this age as they’re immobile and have little coordination.

Question 11

who were the p’s of Schafer and Emerson’s study

Answer 11

60 babies from Glasgow. Most from working class families.

Question 12

When were mothers/babies visited in Schafer and Emerson’s study

Answer 12

once a month for 1 year and then again at 18 months.

Question 13

What did researchers ask the parents to do

Answer 13

to observe their children in different circumstances, keep a diary of their observations and report back to the researchers. EG. Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety.

Question 14

Give examples of circumstances parents were asked to observe and record

Answer 14

Left alone in a room, left alone with a stranger, left alone in their cot.
Stranger anxiety – also directly observed by S&E when they visited the families.

Question 15

What did Schafer and Emerson find put simply

Answer 15

Babies developed attachment through a series of stages from asocial to multiple.Specific attachment tended to be to the person who was most interactive and sensitive (reciprocity). Not necessarily the person they spent most time with.

Question 16

What did Schafer and Emerson find at 25 - 32 weeks

Answer 16

Between 25 – 32 weeks – 50% of the babies showed separation anxiety towards a particular adult, usually the biological mothers (specific attachment).

Question 17

What did Schafer and Emerson find at 40 weeks

Answer 17

nearly 30% had formed multiple attachment (usually formed once the specific attachment had been formed). These were described as secondary attachments.

Question 18

Give an evaluation of Schafer and Emerson’s study based on external validity (strength)

Answer 18

Most of the observations were made by parents, during ordinary days and interactions, in their home environments.
The alternative would have been to observe all aspects during visits but the researchers presence may have affected the babies.
This method means it was highly likely that the P’s behaved naturally while being observed.

Question 19

Give an evaluation of Schafer and Emerson’s study based on their sample (weakness)

Answer 19

Schaffer and Emerson based their stages on a single but large-scale study of babies’ development conducted in working-class Glasgow.
However, child-rearing practices vary considerably according to cultural and historical context e.g. multiple attachments is the norm in collectivist cultures (van IJzendoorn 1993).
This means that some of the observations from this study may not generalise to other populations.

Question 20

Give an evaluation of Schafer and Emerson’s study based on bias (Weakness)

Answer 20

Mothers may have been biased with what they reported.
They might not have noticed some behaviours or may have issues with recall.
Even if the babies had behaved naturally, they might not have had their behaviour accurately reported.

Question 21

Give an evaluation of Schafer and Emerson’s study based on real world application (strength)

Answer 21

A strength is real-world application to day care.
In the early stages (asocial and indiscriminate attachments) babies can be comforted by any skilled adult.
But if a child starts day care later, during the stage of specific attachments, care from an unfamiliar adult may cause distress and longer-term problems.
This means that Schaffer and Emerson’s stages can help parents makingday care decisions.