Stages

• Stages of attachment

  1. Asocial stage
  2. Indiscriminate attachment
  3. Specific attachment
  4. Multiple attachments
• Asocial stage - first few weeks
• Indiscriminate attachment - 2-7 months
• Specific attachement - 7+ months
• Multiple attachments - 12 months +
• 1. Asocial stage

  • Recognise and form bonds with carers but behaviour towards human/non human objects is similar
• 2. Indiscriminate attachment

  • Display more observable social behaviour and show preference for people (familiar adults), no seperation/stranger anxiety
• 3. Specific attachment

  • Majority display stranger/seperation anxiety from primary attachment figure to which theyve formed specific attachment
• 4. Multiple attachments

  • Extend attachment behaviour to other adults they regularly spend time with (secondary attachments)
• (Stages) - Problems studying asocial stage

  • babies are so young they have poor coordination and mobility making observations hard
• (Stages) - Conflicting evidence on multiple attachments

  • it is not clear when children develop these as other researchers believe they're there from the start
• (Stages) - Measuring multiple attachments

  • just because a baby gets distressed when someone leaves the room doesnt necessarily mean theyre an attachment figure