Schaffers stages of attachment

• SCHAFFER AND EMERSON (1964)

  AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE FORMATION OF EARLY ATTACHMENT, IN PARTICULAR THE AGE AT WHICH THEY DEVELOPED, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND WHOM.

  SAMPLE: 60 BABIES (31M & 21F) FROM GLASGOW AND MAJORITY FROM WORKING CLASS FAMILIES

  RESEARCH METHODS: LONGITUDINAL STUDY, INTERVIEWS, OBSERVATIONS
• WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS BETWEEN 25-32 WEEKS?

  50% OF BABIES SHOWED SEPARATION ANXIETY TOWARDS CAREGIVER

  ATTACHMENT TENDED TO BE THE MOST INTERACTIVE AND SENSITIVE OT WHOM SPENT THE MOST TIME WITH BABY (TYPICALLY)
• WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS FOR 40 WEEKS?

  80% OF BABIES HAD A SPECIFIC ATTACHMENT (TO PRIMARY CAREGIVER)

  ALMOST 30% DISPLAYED MULTIPLE ATTACHMENTS EG FATHER, GRANDPARENTS
• CONCLUSION


  SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS A PATTERN OF ATTACHMENT COMMON TO ALL INFANTS WHICH IS BIOLOGICALLY CONTROLLED

  ATTACHMENTS ARE MADE MORE EASILY WITH THOSE WHO ARE SENSITIVE EG RECIPROCITY
• HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY (EVALUATION 1)

  A STRENGTH IS THAT IT IS A NATURALISTIC EXPERIMENT AND HAS HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY. AS THE EXPERIMENT IS CARRIED OUT IN THE PP'S HOME IT ESTABLISHES THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS REFLECTIVE OF REAL LIFE. THEREFORE, THE BABYS BEHAVIOUR THAT WAS OBSERVED IS LESS LIKELT TO BE INFLUENCED BY DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS THAT WOULD BE EXPERIENCED IN A LAB SETTING. THIS IS A STRENGTH AS IT INCREASES THE EXTERNAL VALIDITY OF THE RESEARCH AND IS A REFLECTION OF EVERYDAY SITUATIONS OF ATTACHMENT FORMATION.
• LONGITUDINAL STUDY (EVALUATION 2)

  A STRENGTH IS THAT IT IS A LS SO THE PP'S CAN BE FOLLOWED AND OBSERVED REGUARLY. THIS MEANS THERE ARE LESS COFOUNDING VARIABLES THAN IF DIFFERENT CHILDREN WERE USED. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A CHANCE OF DROP OUTS. ALTERNATIVE METHODS SUCH AS CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGNS COULD HAVE OBSERVED DIFFERENT BABIES AT EACH STAGE HOWEVER THE FINDINGS WOULD NOT BE COHESIVE AND DISPLAY LIKE FOR LIKE. A LS BENEFITS ROM MINIMISING P'S VARIBALES WHICH IN TURN INCS THE VALIDTY OF THE STUDY. (HOWEVER, DROP OUTS COULD DAMAGE THE RELIABILITY)
• GENERALISATION (EVALUATION 3)


  HOWEVER, A WEAKNESS IS THAT IT CANNOT BE GENERALISED. THE SAMPLE USED IN THE EXPERIMENT IS LIMITED MEANING THAT THE SAMPLE OF 60 BABIES FROM GLASGOW IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE REST OF THE POPULATION. CONSEQUENTLY, CHILD REARING PRACTICES MAY VARY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER OR AMONG DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES. THIS IS A LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH AS IT PREVENTS THE GENERALISATION OF THE FINDINGS TO THE WIDER POPULATION OF OTHER SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXTS.
• RESPONSE BIAS (EVALUATION 4)


  A FURTHER LIMITATION OF THE STUDY IS THAT IT COULD BE AFFECTED BY RESPONSE BIAS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE RESEARCHERS CARRY OUT INTERVIEWS AND OBSERVATIONS FOR THE CAREGIVERS TO RECEIVE ANSWERS ON ANY PROTEST THEIR CHILD DISPLAYS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE MOTHERS MAY BE INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS IN ORDER TO APPEAR MORE FAVORABLE BY THE RESEARCHER. ALSO, THE RESEARCHER BEING THE OBSERVER ALSO IMPLEMENTS POSSIBLE RESEARCHER BIAS WHICH MEANS THAT THEY COULD INFLUENCE OR PLAY DOWN SOME ANSWERS WHICH IMPACTS INTERNAL VALIDTY AS RESPONSES ARE NOT ACCURATE/RELIABLE.
• WHAT IS STAGE 1?

  ASOCIAL STAGE

  0-8 WEEKS

  BABIES IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF THEIR LIVES ARE SAID TO BE IN THIS STAGE

  SHOW PREFERENCE FOR FAMILIAR ADULTS

  BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS HUMANS/INANIMATE OBJECTS ARE SIMILAR
• WHAT IS STAGE 2?


  INDISCRIMINATE ATTACHMENT

  2-7 MONTHS SO DISPLAY OBSERVABLE SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

  SHOW PREFERENCE FOR PEOPLE RATHER THAN INANIMATE OBJECTS

  DO NOT USUALLY SHOW SEPARATION OR STRANGER ANXIETY
• WHAT IS STAGE 3?


  SPECIFIC ATTACHMENT

  7-12 MONTHS

  START TO DISPLAY ANXIETY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND ANXIOUS WHEN SEPARATED FROM ONE PARTICULAR ADULT; PRIMARY ATTACHMENT FIGURE (MOTHER=65%)
• WHAT IS STAGE 4?

  MULTIPLE ATTACHMENTS

  12+ MONTHS

  ATTACH TO PEOPLE WHO THEY REGULARLY SPEND TIME WITH

  SECONDARY ATTACHMENT

  29% FORMED WITHIN A MONTH OF SPECIFIC
• EVALUATION OF ATTACHMENT STAGES

  UNREALISTIC TO DEVELOP STAGES OFF OBSERVATIONS

  OLDER STUDY- SOCIETY HAS CHANGED

  RESEARCHER BIAS

  RESPONSE BIAS

  BABIES DEVELOP AT DIFFERENT TIMES

  NATURE VS NURTURE IMPACTS

  CULTURAL BIAS EG TRIBES

  DIFFICULT TO GENERALISE

  NOT FULLY COMPREHENSIVE OF BABYS FEELINGS/EMOTIONS