Stages of Attachment AO1

Question 1

Who made the stages of attachment?

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson

Question 2

Describe the experiment that lead to the creation of the stages of attachment?

Answer 2

• Schaffer and Emerson
• 31 male and 29 female babies
• visited every month for 1 year and then at 18 months
• researcher asked mothers questions about the protests their baby showed in every day situations
• they did this to measure the infants attachment over time as well as their separation and stanger anxiety

Question 3

What are the findings of Schaffer and Emersons’ research into the stages of attachment?

Answer 3

• 50% of the babies between the 6th and 8th month showed seperation anxiety when away from primary caregiver (usually mother)
• attachment occured with the most interactive and sensitive to infant’s signals
• in the 10th month 80% of infants had a specific attachment and 30% had multiple
• many developed a primary attachment to mother even other carer did more feeding

Question 4

How many stages of attachment are there?

Answer 4

4

Question 5

What are the stages of attachment?

Answer 5

1. Asocial Stage
2. Indiscriminant Attachment
3. Specific Attachment
4. Multiple Attachment

Question 6

Describe the Asocial Stage of the stages of attachment.

Answer 6

• up to the first 6 weeks of attachment
• baby’s behaviour towards humans and non-human objects are similar
• baby shows preference for familiar adults

Question 7

Describe the Indiscriminant Attachment stage of the stages of attachment.

Answer 7

• up to 7-8 months
• babies are more sociable
• prefers people over inatimate objects
• recognise and prefer familiar adults
• accept affection from any adult
• no separation or stranger anxiety

Question 8

Describe the Specific Attachment stage of the stages of attachment.

Answer 8

• arround 7 months
• babies experience stranger and separation anxiety
• baby develope attachment towards specific adult
• who is the most interactional and sensitive to the babie’s signals (primary care giver)

Question 9

Describe the Multiple Attachment stage of the stages of attachment.

Answer 9

• 9 months and onwards
• baby shows attachment towards multiple adults who they spend the most time with (secondary attachment)