60 babies with 31 males,29 females all from working class families in Glasgow. Mothers and babies visited every month for first year and again at 18 months
Method of Schaffer and Emerson study
Asked mothers about kind of protest showed in seven everyday separations; adult leaving room - measure of separation anxiety and researchers also measured stranger anxiety . Designed to measure infant's attachment to mother
Findings of Schaffer and Emerson study
Between 25 and 32 weeks of age about 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards a particular adult usually mother - specific attachment
Age of 40 weeks
Between age of 40 weeks, 80% of babies had a specific A and 30% displayed multiples As
Caregiver attachment
A tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive (Reciprocity) and not the person who spent most time with the baby
Stages of attachment - stage 1
Asocial stage (first few weeks)- Baby's behaviour towards non-human objects and humans quite similar- Show some preference for familiar adults - Baby happy when in presence of other humans
Stages of attachment - stage 2
Indiscriminate attachment 2-7 months- Show preference for people rather than objects- Recognise and prefer familiar adults- Accept comfort from any adultDon't show separation or stranger anxiety
Stages of attachment- stage 3
Specific attachment 7 months- Show stranger and separation anxiety- Formed a specific attachment to primary attachment figure
Stages of attachment- Stage 4
Multiple attachments- Secondary attachments form to other adults the babies spent time with regularly - By 1 year age most have formed multiple attachments- Schaffer and Emerson's study 29% of children had secondary As within a month of forming primary A