Stages of Attachment

Question 1

What are the Four Stages of Attachment? (Schaffer and Emerson 1964)

Answer 1

Asocial stage, Indiscriminate attachment, Specific attachment, Multiple attachments

Question 2

What happens in the Asocial stage?

Answer 2

First few weeks
Observable behaviour towards humans and inanimate objects fairly similar
Show signs of preference towards people
Preference towards familiar people and accept comfort
Baby forming bonds with certain people

Question 3

What happens during Indiscriminate attachment?

Answer 3

2-7 mo more observable social behaviours
Clear preference to humans and not objects
Recognise and prefer company of familiar people
Accept comfort from anyone
Do not usually show stranger or separation anxiety

Question 4

What happens during Specific attachment?

Answer 4

From 7 months display classic signs of attachment towards one particular person
Stranger and Separation anxiety
The specific attachment is with the primary attachment figure
Not necessarily time based but interaction based
Was the baby’s mother in 65% of cases

Question 5

What happens during Multiple attachments?

Answer 5

Soon after specific attachment, or possibly instantly
From secondary attachments with those they spend time with
29% formed secondary attachments within a month of forming specific attachments
By the age of 1, the majority developed multiple attachments

Question 6

Schaffer and Emerson 1964 procedure

Answer 6

60 babies, 31 male, 29 female
All from Glasgow and maj. from skilled work-class families
Visited every month for 1 yr then again at 18 mo
Asked mothers questions about protest in separation and stranger anxiety

Question 7

EVAL+: Good external validity

Answer 7

Most observations (except stranger anx) made during ordinary activities
Researchers being present might have distracted the babies or made them feel anxious

Question 8

EVAL-: Good external validity (COUNTERPOINT)

Answer 8

Mothers may have been biased in what they reported and in what they noticed
if babies showed a behaviour it may not have been accurately recorded

Question 9

EVAL-: Poor evidence for the asocial stage

Answer 9

Young babies have poor co-ordination and are fairly immobile
Anxiety in this stage may be too difficult to be observed
Babies may be social but have appearance of being Asocial

Question 10

EVAL+: Real-world application

Answer 10

Have practical application in day care
In first 2 stages, babies can be cared for by any skilled adult
May be problematic in specific attachment stage

Question 11

EVAL-: Generalisability

Answer 11

Only looked at one sample with unique features in terms of cultural and historic context
van Ijzendoorn (1993) in collectivist cultures, multiple attachments form faster