Stages of attachment: Schaffer

Question 1

Asocial stage (first few weeks)

Answer 1

• babies show similar behaviour towards objects and humans

- babies show some preference to familiar people

Question 2

Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months)

Answer 2

• increased sociability
• accept comfort from any adult
• recognise and prefer familiar adults

Question 3

Specific attachment (7 months)

Answer 3

• form specific attachment to one person (primary)
• this bond is characterised by stranger anxiety and separation protest
• multiple attachments soon follow

Question 4

multiple attachment (8 months+)

Answer 4

• infants develop attachments to other people soon after

- these people are secondary attachment figures

Question 5

Evaluation strength: good external validity

Answer 5

observations of the infants were taken at their homes in Glasgow by their parents.

Question 6

Evaluation weakness: non representative

Answer 6

60 infants from the 1960s Glasgow who also came from the same social class.

Question 7

Evaluation weakness: conflicting evidence

Answer 7

Bowlby suggests that children form their strongest and most influential attachment before they form multiple attachments.

Question 8

Evaluation weakness: issues with asocial stage

Answer 8

very young babies have poor coordination and there is not much behaviour to observe and makes it difficult to make accurate judgements.

Question 9

Evaluation weakness: multiple attachments difficult to measure

Answer 9

Just because a baby becomes distressed when a caregiver leaves, this doesn’t mean there is an attachment to them.