The development of attachment Flashcards
Who conducted a landmark study on the stages of attachment?
Schaffer and Emerson
How many infants were studied by Schaffer and Emerson?
60
Where were Schaffer and Emerson’s infants from?
Glasgow
At the start of Schaffer and Emerson’s study, what range of ages were the infants?
5-23 weeks
What age did Schaffer and Emerson study their infants until?
1 year
How often were the mothers visited in Schaffer and Emerson’s study?
Every four weeks
What behaviours were assessed during Schaffer and Emerson’s monthly visits?
Separation distress, intensity of protests and stranger anxiety
How was the intensity of infant’s protests measured in Schaffer and Emerson’s study?
Using a 4 point scale
What is separation anxiety?
The distress shown by an infant when separated from their caregiver
What is stranger anxiety?
The distress shown by an infant when approached by someone unfamiliar
What is a primary attachment figure?
The person who has formed the closest bond with a child
Who is typically the primary attachment figure?
The child’s biological mother
What are the 4 stages of attachment?
Indiscriminate attachment, beginnings of attachment, discriminate attachment and multiple attachments
What is the main characteristic of indiscriminate attachment?
The infant produces similar responses to all objects, both animate and inanimate
What 2 behaviours are often displayed during the indiscriminate attachment stage?
Interactional synchrony and reciprocity
What is the typical age range of indiscriminate attachment?
0-3 months
What is the main characteristic of beginnings of attachment?
Preferring human company to inanimate objects
What do infants not display during the beginnings of attachment?
Stranger anxiety
What is the typical age range of beginnings of attachment?
3-7 months
What occurs during discriminate attachment?
A specific attachment is formed to their primary attachment figure
What 2 behaviours start to occur during discriminate attachment?
Separation distress and stranger anxiety
What did Schaffer and Emerson notice about intensely attached infants?
They typically had mothers with high levels of sensitive responsiveness
What percentage of infants had their mother as their first specific attachment?
65%
What percentage of infants had their father as their first specific attachment?
3%
What percentage of infants had their mother as their joint first specific attachment?
30%
What percentage of infants had their father as their joint first specific attachment?
27%
What is the typical age range of discriminate attachment?
7-9 months
Within one month of first becoming attached, what percentage of Schaffer and Emerson’s infants formed secondary attachments?
29%
Within six months of first becoming attached, what percentage of Schaffer and Emerson’s infants formed secondary attachments?
78%
What is the typical age range of multiple attachments?
9 months +
What are the 4 AO3 points of the stages of attachment?
1) Unreliable data
2) Biased sample
3) Cultural variations
4) Socially sensitive
What was the data collection method of Schaffer and Emerson?
Self-report method
Why does Schaffer and Emerson’s data lack objectivity? (2)
1- Some mothers were less sensitive to their infant’s protests
2 - Social desirability bias
What can be said about Schaffer + Emerson’s sample?
It is biased
Why is Schaffer + Emerson’s sample bias in terms of social group?
All the children were from working-class families
Why do Schaffer + Emerson’s findings lack temporal validity?
The study was conducted in the 1960s - women were expected to stay home + care for the children whilst the men worked and provided - not the case anymore
Since the 1960s, what has happened to men taking over main parenting duties?
It has increased by 4x
What type of culture is Glasgow?
An individualist culture
Why may Schaffer + Emerson’s findings not apply to collectivist cultures?
It is more likely that children from collectivist cultures are more likely to form multiple attachments
Why are Schaffer + Emerson’s findings socially sensitive?
If an infant is not meeting the milestones, they may be classified as abnormal- this may cause parents psychological harm due to feelings of anxiety
