Stages of attachment

• What are the stages of attachment as found by Schaffer? (IN ORDER)

  • Asocial stage
  • Indiscriminate stage
  • Specific attachment
  • Multiple attachments
• What are the key features of the ,,Asocial stage" of attachment?

  • First few weeks of life
  • Forming and recognising bonds, see humans and objects the same
  • Happier in presence of humans, only some babies show preference to a specific person
• What are the key features of the ,,indiscriminate stage" of attachment?

  • 2-7 months
  • Prefer people over objects, especially familiar adults
  • No separation or stranger anxiety
  • Happy accepting comfort from any adult
• What are the key features of the ,,specific attachment stage" of attachment?

  • 7+ months
  • infants distressed if separated from primary caregiver
  • Both stranger and separation anxiety shown
• What are the key elements of the ,,Multiple attachments stage" of attachment?

  • Around 12 months
  • Occurs once specific attachment has been made
  • Attachment behaviour can extend to multiple adults they spent time with regularly
• What was Schaffer and Emerson's study into stages of attachment?

  • 60 babies from Glasgow working class families
  • longitudinal study
  • Observations done by mothers
  • Babies and mothers visited once a month for first year
  • Follow up visit at 18 months
  • 25-32 weeks old = 50% specific attachment
  • 40 weeks old = 80% specific attachment, 30% multiple attachments
  • 3% father was first attachment
  • 75% father was second attachment
• Give one strength and one limitation of studying stages of attachment

  STRENGTH:

  • Real world application in day care (child sent at right stage)

  LIMITATION:

  • Hard to observe/measure multiple attachments