stages of attachment

• who conducted a longitudinal study of babies?

  Schaffer and Emerson
• what did schaffer and emerson measure?

  stranger anxiety

  seperation anxiety

  social referencing
• what is social referencing?

  degree that child looks at career to check how they should respond to something new
• methods used to collect data in S and E

  diary

  interviews with carers

  observations
• triangulation


  more than 1 method which increases reliability
• strengths of these methods

  interviews can be in depth

  studies conducted at home (field) so natural behaviour

  babies don’t have demand characteristics
• weaknesses of these methods

  you can lie in diaries and interviews

  observing the mother could have demand characteristics
• findings of Schaffer and Emerson

  attachments were most likely with those who respond to signals, not who spends most time with them. sensitive responsiveness
• asocial stage. birth - 2months 


  infants respond to all objects the same way. no discrimination
• indiscriminate stage. 2-7 months

  prefer human company

  no signs of stranger anxiety

  general sociability (enjoyment of being with others)
• specific attachments. 7 months +

  show protest when a particular person puts them down (separation anxiety)

  stranger anxiety

  65% bio mother

  30% mother and father

  3% father only
• multiple attachments. after 1st attachment

  usually extend attachment behaviour with others that they spend time with

  these are secondary attachments
• sensitive responsiveness

  the caregiver’s ability to notice, accurately interpret, and promptly respond to an infant’s signals in an appropriate manner.