schaffers stages of attachment

• What are Schaffer's & Emerson's (1964) stages of attachment?

  -Asocial stage

  -Indiscriminate attachment

  -Specific attachment

  -Multiple attachments
• What is the 'Asocial Stage'? [Stage 1]

  0-2 Months:- Baby's behavior toward inanimate objects and humans is similar

  .- Baby prefers familiar adults and is happier in the presence of humans.

  - formation of bonds with specific individuals, laying the foundation for later attachments.
• What is the 'Indiscriminate Attachment' phase? [Stage 2]

  2 to 7 months: Baby exhibits more obvious and observable social behaviors

  - prefers people over inanimate objects

  - enjoys cuddles and interaction with familiar adults.

  -Generally accepts comfort from any adult (indiscriminate).

  -No stranger or separation anxiety in the presence of unfamiliar adults.
• What is the 'Specific Attachment' phase? [Stage 3]

  7 Months & Onwards: classic attachment behaviours towards a specific person

  - shows stranger anxiety and separation anxiety with their attachment figure.

  - formation of a primary attachment figure, often based on interaction quality, not time spent.

  - in 65% of cases, the primary attachment figure is the mother.
• What is the 'Multiple Attachment' phase? [Stage 4]

  By 1 year: displays attachment behaviors like stranger and separation anxiety towards other familiar adults (secondary attachments)

  - Schaffer and Emerson observed 29% forming secondary attachments within a month of their primary attachment

  - by age 1, babies have developed multiple attachments
• good external validity 


  P: strength - good external validity

  E: observations were made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to the researchers

  E: the alternative would have been the researchers presenting to record observations which could have distracted the babies or caused anxiousness

  L: therefore likely ppts behaved naturally when observing
• counterpoint 


  P: limitation - mothers were not objective

  E: mothers likely to be biased in what they noticed and reported

  E: e.g. may not have reported signs of anxiousness or misremembered it

  L: therefore baby behaviour may not have accurately recorded
• poor evidence for asocial stage 


  P: limitation - poor validity of measures used

  E: Young babies are immobile and have poor coordination and show anxiety in a subtle way

  E: this makes it difficult to report back on signs of anxiety and attachment in this age group

  L: therefore babies may be social but shown as asocial due to flawed methods
• real-world application 


  P: strength - real-world application

  E: in asocial and indiscriminate stage, daycare easy and any adult can comfort baby

  E: Shaffer and Emmerson's research tells us daycare with an unfamiliar adult can be problematic during specific attachment stage

  L: therefore parents use of daycare can be planned with research