Schaffers stages of attachment

• Stages of attachment: A sequence of qualitatively different behaviours linked to specific ages. In the stages of attachment, characteristics of the infants behaviour change towards others as the infant gets older.
• Qualitative differences: each stage is associated with behaviours being different in kind not just a progression of a behaviour at each stage.
• Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

  • To investigate the formation of early attachment
  • Method: 60 babies ( 31 males 29 females) all from Glasgow most likely working-class. Babies and mothers were visited at home every month for the first year and then again at 18 months
  • The researchers asked the mothers questions about the kinds of protest their babies showed in 7 everyday situations to measure the infants attachment, tested separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.
• • Findings: between 25-32 weeks 50% of babies showed separation anxiety from caregiver. The attachment tended to be with who was most interactive and sensitive to infants signals.
  • By 40 weeks 80% of babies had a specific attachment and almost 30% showed multiple attachments.
• Research evaluation: Good external validity but issues with objectivity

  • Carried out in families homes and observations were done by parents so babies would've likely been acting naturally
  • However mothers as observers is subject to bias due to social desirability or may misremember
• Research evaluation: Longitudinal study

  • Good internal validity than cross-sectional research (different children and different ages) because the same children are followed up at different ages meaning there are no individual differenced.
• Research evaluation: limited sample characteristics

  All families came from the same area and the research took place 50 years ago so may have lacked good control. Child rearing practices vary between social classes so findings may not be generalisable
• Schaffer and Emerson stages:

  • Asocial stage
  • Indiscriminate stage
  • Specific attachment
  • Multiple attachment
• Asocial stage (first few weeks)

  • Tiny bit sociable
  • Babies act similarly to humans and objects
  • Slight preference for familiar adults
• Indiscriminate stage (2-7 months)

  • More sociable behaviour
  • Prefer familiar adults
  • don't discriminate between care-givers
  • no stranger anxiety
• Specific attachment (7 months+)

  • Primary attachment formed- biological mother 65% of time
  • Primary attachment figure doesn't have to be primary care-giver
• Multiple attachments:

  • Extended beyond Primary attachment figure, attach to others we spend time with - secondary attachments such as siblings or grandparents
  • S+A 30% had secondary attachment within a moth of forming specific attachment
• Evaluation of stages: problems with studying asocial stage

  • Babies have poor co-ordination and are mostly immobile, so there is not much behaviour to make judgements on
  • Evidence is not reliable
• Evaluation of stages: Conflicting evidence on multiple attachments

  • Bowlby found babies form an attachment to single care giver before multiple attachments
  • However other researchers found babies form multiple attachments from the start of attachment formation ( Van IJzendoorn) particularly in collectivist cultures.
• Evaluation of stages: Measuring multiple attachments

  • There are issues with how multiple attachments are assessed, an infant showing distress when someone leaves the room doesn't mean they are necessarily attached.
  • Bowlby said that children have 'play mates' but that are not attachment figures. This means from observation it is hard to distinguish between a play mate and a secondary attachment figure.
• Evaluation of stages: Practical value

  • Practical application to day care. In asocial and indiscriminate stages, day care should be straightforward as babies will accept comfort from any adult.
  • This can be difficult during the specific attachment stage as an unfamiliar adult can be problematic. Day care can then be planned around these stages.