The stages of attachment

Question 1

Schaffer and Emerson - procedure

Answer 1

60 babies from Glasgow mainly from working class families
Visited monthly for the first year and again at 18 months
During each visit the mothers were interviewed about their child's separation and stranger anxiety 
Researchers also assessed stranger anxiety themselves by approaching the child and noting whether they cried or whimpered

Question 2

Schaffer and Emerson - findings

Answer 2

Between 6-8 months approx 50% of infants showed separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety tended to follow a month later
65% formed their first attachment with their mother
3% formed their first attachment with their father
Attachments were typically based off of the amount of interaction between the caregiver and the infant, not the amount of time spent together
Developed the 4 stages of attachment from this study

Question 3

Stages of attachment

Stage 1

Answer 3

Asocial stage - first few weeks
Infant begins to form bonds with carers
However, has similar behaviour towards human and non-human objects
Babies are happier in the presence of other humans

Question 4

Stages of attachment

Stage 2

Answer 4

Indiscriminate attachment - 2 - 7 months
Begin showing a preference for people over objects
Recognise and prefer familiar adults - mother and father
No stranger or separation anxiety at this stage

Question 5

Stages of attachment

Stage 3

Answer 5

Specific attachment - 7 months onwards
Most infants begin to show separation anxiety when not with one adult - typically their mother
Specific attachment said to have formed
Most infants begin to show stranger anxiety

Question 6

Stages of attachment

Stage 4

Answer 6

Multiple attachments - 10 - 11 months onwards
Attachments extended to other adults who the infant regularly spends time with
These are called secondary attachments

Question 7

Schaffer and Emerson AO3

Answer 7

Individual differences - not all babies attach in the same way and not all people parent in the same way
Low population validity - because all the babies were from Glasgow and they were mostly from working class families. Culture - no nannies = more attachment to parents 
Demand characteristics - the mothers may change their behaviour in front of observers e.g. interact more with their child to impress observers

Question 8

The role of the father - attachment to a child

Answer 8

Mothers still produce the hormone oestrogen which biologically causes them to be more caring
Socially, there is the cultural expectation that caring for others is feminine and not encouraged in males
Research suggests that when males are primary caregivers, they adopt behaviours more typical of mothers

Question 9

The role of the father - role in development

Answer 9

Research suggests that the quality of attachment between infants and their fathers was not related to adolescent attachments, whereas there was a link for mother-infant attachments
Suggests fathers don’t play an important role in social development
However, evidence that the quality of father’s play with infants is important, suggesting that the role of the father is to develop play and stimulation

Question 10

The role of the father AO3

Answer 10

Nature or nurture - because infants tend to form secondary attachments with their fathers, this suggests its biologically determined. However, fathers in lone parent families do form strong bonds with their children suggests that parental gender is irrelevant. Nurture plays a key role therefore as fathers are taught by society not to act as their child’s primary caregiver