Stages of attachment - Schaffer And Emerson - Attachement

Question 1

AIms of the Schaffer and Emerson study

Answer 1

Aim - To investigate the formation of early attachment, in particular the age of this development, the emotional intensity and to whom they were directed to.

Longitudinal studies 
Shows them over a long period of time 
Observed 60, Glaswegian babies for 18 months, mostly from working class families.
Researchers asked parents to observe their children in different circumstances, keep a diary of their observations and report back to researchers. For example separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. 
Circumstances included 
left alone in a room 
Left with a stranger 
Left alone in their cot

Question 2

Schaffer and Emerson results 25-35 weeks

Answer 2

25-35 weeks
- 50% of the babies showed separation anxiety towards a particular adult, usually the biological mothers (specific attachment)

• Attachment tended to be the caregiver that was most sensitive to the infants signals and facial expressions (reciprocity) - primary attachment figure.

Question 3

Schaffer and Emerson results - 40 weeks

Answer 3

40 weeks
nearly 30% had formed multiple attachment (usually formed once the specific attachment had been formed) these were described as secondary attachment s
80% had formed specific attachment

Question 4

Positive evaluation of the Schaffer and Emerson study

Answer 4

Evaluation of the study
+ good external validity as it was done by the parents doing normal activities

+Babies behaved naturally as they didn’t understand that an experiment was happening

Longitudinal design

+ same children observed over A period of time
Cross sectional design different children of different ages

+ Longitudinal design - Better internal validity as they do not have confounding variables of individuals differences between participants.

Question 5

Negative evaluation of the Schaffer and Emerson Study

Answer 5

Limited sample characteristics

• research is limited due to participants bein form the same town, same social class and over 50 years ago
• Child rearing practices vary from culture and historical events

Question 6

What are the stages of attachment

Answer 6

Asocial stage - (0-6 WEEKS)

Indiscriminate Attchments - (6 WEEKS -6 MONTHS)

Discriminate Phase

Multiple attachments

Question 7

Asocial stage

Answer 7

(0 -6 weeks)

• first few weeks
• Infants is forming bonds with and recognise objects
• babies are happier in the precedent of other familiar human

Question 8

Indiscriminate attachment

Answer 8

(6 weeks to 6 months)

• observable social behaviours
• Preference for people rather than inanimate objects
• Babies accepted cuddles and comfort from any adult, and do not usually show separation anxiety

Question 9

Discriminate phase

Answer 9

around 7 months
- majority of babies start to show anxiety towards strangers or when they are separated from one particular adult (65% biological mother)

Question 10

Multiple attachment

Answer 10

• secondary attachment to people babies spend a lot of time with
• Normally occurs before 1 year of age

Question 11

Evaluation of the stages of attachment

Answer 11

Issue with studying the asocial stage

• very difficult to gather any meaningful data from infants at this age as they are immobile and have little coordination
• evidence has shown that infants are social at this age e.g. Meltzoff and Moore - ability to imitate at 2 weeks
• Evidence has also shown that babies prefer their mothers face/voice to that of a stranger

Measuring attachment

• cannot measure attachment
• Bowlby (1969) pointed out that that children have playmates as well as attachment figures and may get distressed when a playmate leaves the room, which does not signify attachment