STAGES OF ATTACHMENTS

• schaffer's stages of attachment

  1. asocial stage
  2. indiscriminate stage
  3. specific attachment
  4. multiple attachments
• asocial stage - first few weeks

  behaviour towards inanimate objects and humans are similar (high external and internal validity BUT cannot truly be measured)
• indiscriminate stage - 7 months

  preference shown towards humans
• specific attachment stage - 7 months

  form a primary attachment (65% mother) to the carer who skilfully responds to the baby's signals the most
• multiple attachments - 1 year

  when baby forms secondary attachments
• problems with schaffer's stages

  1. all families involved were from the same area - not generalised
  2. unsure how to measure 'true' attachments or just play mates
  3. must form a primary attachment first before able to form multiple
• father was the first sole attachment

  3%
• the father was joint first with the mother in sole attachment

  27%
• by 18 months

  75% of infants had an attachment to the father