stages of attachment- Schaffer & Emerson

Question 1

stages:

Answer 1

asocial- birth to 2 months, shows similar responses to objects and people

indiscriminate attachment- 2 to 6 months, shows preference for human company, distinguish between different people, comforted by anyone and don’t show stranger anxiety.

discriminate attachment- 7 to 12 months, shows a preference for one caregiver, displays separation and stranger anxiety. shows joy upon reunion and comforted by primary caregiver.

multiple attachments- one year onwards, attachment behaviours now displayed to several people

Question 2

Schaffer and emerson study

Answer 2

60 Glasgow infants from working class homes. Visited them at monthly intervals at their own home. Mothers asked to keep of the infants response to separation in everyday situations. Carried out direct observations of infants reactions when they approached them (stranger anxiety)

found:
up to 3 months: indiscriminate attachments
after 4 months: preference for certain people
after 7 months: preference for single attachment figure, show stranger and separation anxiety.
after 9 months: multiple attachments

Question 3

AO3: limitation- low population validity

strength- high external validity

Answer 3

P: the study lacks population validity
E/E: as the sample only includes working class mums & babies from glasgow. Upper class may form different attachments with their children.
L: therefore can’t generalise the results from research into the stages of attachment to all mothers & babies.
HOWEVER,
the research has high external validity because the observations were conducted in their own homes so they were more likely to act naturally.

Question 4

AO3: limitation- the asocial stage is difficult to study

strength- real life applications

Answer 4

P: asocial stage is difficult to study
E: e.g. the young babies have poor co-ordination and are mostly immobile.
E: meaning it is difficult to make judgement about them based of observation.
L: isn’t reliable and cant draw firm conclusions.
HOWEVER,
has real life applications e.g. daycare. In the first 2 stages daycare will be straightforward as babies can be comforted by any adult whereas starting daycare with an unfamiliar adult during the discriminate stage may be difficulty. Parents use of daycare can be planned.

Question 5

AO3: Limitation- social desirability bias

Answer 5

P: social desirability bias
E/E: when being interviewed or writing in the diary the mothers may have lied about their children to appear like better mothers with secure attachments.
L: this reduced the internal validity of the research into the stages of attachment

Question 6

AO3: conflicting evidence from different cultures on multiple attachments

Answer 6

P: conflicting evidence from different cultures on multiple attachments
E: not clear on what stage multiple attachments occur
E: some research indicated most babies from attachments to single main caregiver before being able to form multiple. But psychologists found ins some cultures where it is the norm to have multiple caregivers, that babies can form multiple attachments from the outset.
L: The presence of cross-cultural differences means it is difficult to produce a theory that is applicable to all cultures.