AO1- The development of attachment

• Multiple attachments and the role of the father

  Schaffer found that the primary attachment figure was the mother 65% of the time. In 30% of cases the mother and someone else (i.e: the father) were both primary attachment figures, but only in 3% of cases was the father the primary attachment figure.
• Schaffer and Emerson identified four stages of attachment through their longitudinal observation study.

  1. Asocial stage
  2. Indiscriminate attachments
  3. Specific
  4. Multiple
• The Asocial (pre-attachment) stage occurs from 0-6 weeks of age. Babies in this stage respond to objects in a similar way to humans, such as by smiling, however babies tend to be more content with certain individuals and humans in general compared to objects.
• The Indiscriminate (diffuse attachment) stage occurs from 6 weeks to 7 months. In this stage babies can be handled by strangers without distress, however, can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar individuals, with preference for familiar adults. No separation or stranger anxiety.
• The Specific (or discriminate attachment) stage occurs from 7-9 months onwards. Babies in this stage experience separation and stranger anxiety, and they demonstrate a preference for one primary caregiver such as their mother.
• The Multiple stage occurs after 9 months of age. Babies in this stage can be observed to be attached to more than one individual, including brothers, sisters, and grandparents. Fear of strangers also decreases.
• The role of the father

  • Schaffer and Emerson found that fathers were far less likely to be primary attachment figures than mothers. This may be because they spend less time with their infants
• The role of mothers and fathers have changed in Western cultures since the 1960s, with mother more likely to work and father more likely to help with a greater proportion of the childrearing that previously was done by the mother. This is likely to have an impact on attachment patterns in infants.
• Bowlby suggests that fathers can fill a role closely resembling that filled by a mother but points out that in most cultures this is uncommon. Bowlby argues that in most families with young children, the father's role tends to be different. According to Bowlby, a father is more likely to engage in physically active and novel play than the mother and tends to become his child's preferred play companion.