Schaffer + Emerson: Stages of Attachment

• Study

  AIM: examine the formation of early attachments

  METHOD: sample consisted of 60 babies from working class families in Glasgow aged between 5-23weeks at start

  researchers visited babies in homes, every month for first 12 months then at 18 months

  researchers interviewed mothers to measure infants' level of attachment and observed children in relation to separation and stranger anxiety in range of activities.

  RESULTS: provided some support for different stages of attachment

  around 25-32weeks, 50% of children showed separation anxiety towards their mothers, expected of discriminate stage

  by 40 weeks, 80% of children had a specific attachment and 30% started to form multiple attachments

  CONCLUSION: results provide some support for Schaffer and Emerson's stages of attachment and suggests attachment develops through series of stages across 1st year of life
• Asocial Stage


  birth-2months

  babies show some preference for familiar adults in those individuals find it easier to calm them.

  baby's behaviour towards non-human objects and humans - similar
• Indiscriminate attachment


  1. 2-7months

  display more observable social behaviour

  show preference for people rather than inanimate objects

  babies usually accept cuddles and comfort from any adult, don't usually show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety
• Specific attachment


  from around 7months

  majority of babies start to display anxiety towards stranger + become anxious when separated from one particular adult
• Multiple attachments


  about 1yr old

  once they show attachment towards 1 adult they extend this attachment behaviour to multiple attachments

  relationships are called secondary attachments
• Strength - study was carried out longitudinally


  means same children were followed up and observed regularly over time.

  quicker alternative would've been to observe different children at each age, referred to as a cross-sectional design

  means longitudinal designs have better internal validity than cross-sectional as there are no confounding variables you'd find if you studied different babies and compared them
• Weakness - study lacks population validity


  sample consisted of only 60 working class mothers and babies who may form very different attachments with their infants when compared to wealthier families from other countries

  we're unable to generalise results of this study to mother and babies from other countries and backgrounds as behaviour might not be comparable

  child-rearing practices vary from culture to culture and historical periods

  e.g. in collectivist cultures, multiple attachments from a very early age are more the norm (Van Ijzendoorn)
• Strength - research has high external validity


  most observations were conducted in child's own homes and made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers - means behaviour the babies demonstrated was their normal, everyday behaviour and unlikely to be affected by presence of observers

  good change that ppts behaved naturally while being observed.

  study has good external validity
• Weakness - research can be criticised due to possibility of social desirability bias


  Schaffer and Emerson interviewed mothers about their children and some of them may not have reported accurate details about their children, to appear like 'better' mothers with secure attachments.

  e.g. might not have noticed when their baby was showing signs of anxiety or may have forgotten it.

  could cause a bias in data reducing internal validity of findings since natural behaviour won't have been accurately recorded about stages of attachment