SCHAFFER - STAGES

• Stage 1 - asocial stage


  Will interact with anyone and anything - all interactions are similar. S+E suggests it is not entirely asocial as babies show some preferences
• Stage 2 - indiscriminate attachment


  Start to show preferences but will accept anyone (2-7 months) - do not show stranger or separation anxiety
• Stage 3 - specific attachment


  Start to form specific attachments with people (primary caregiver - mothers 65% of the time) and show anxiety when left alone (from 7 months)
• Stage 4 - multiple attachments


  Forms multiple attachments after the primary caregiver - extends to secondary attachments often within a month of making primary attachments ((29%)S+E)
• SCHAFFER AND EMERSONS RESEARCH


  • 60 babies - 31 male, 29 female from glasgow and mostly w/c
  • researchers visited babies and mothers in their own home every month for a year and again at 18 months
  • asked mothers questions about the kind of protests their babies made in seven everyday separations e.g. adult leaving the room - designed to measure attachment
  • identified the four stages of attachment
• Strength (1) - good external validity


  Babies behaved more naturally when being observed as parents were the observers and reported to the researcher.
• Counterpoint to strength (1)


  mother may be biased when observing their child as there may be social desirability bias
• Strength (2) - practical application to daycare


  parents use of daycare can be planned based on the evidence at the different stages as it is more difficult to leave your child alone or with a stranger after stage 2
• Limitation (1) - poor evidence for asocial stage


  young babies have poor coordination so may display their anxiety subtly and undetectably, making it difficult to report on such behaviour - babies may be social but appear asocial due to flawed methods of observation