schaffers stages of attachment

• schaffer and emerson carried out study into attachment in glasgow

  • based on study - suggested there are 4 different stages of attachment children go through in first couple of years of their life
• stages of attachment

  • asocial
  • indiscriminate
  • specific
  • multiple
• asocial = 0-6 weeks
• indiscriminate = 2 months - 7 months
• specific = 7 months - 9 months
• multiple = 10 months onwards
• asocial attachment stage

  • 0-6 weeks
  • baby is recognising and forming bonds with caregivers
  • behaviour towards human and non human objects are similar
  • babies show preference for familiar adults
  • babies happier in presence of other humans
  • many stimuli produce favourable reactions such as a smile
• indiscriminate attachment stage

  • 2 months - 7 months
  • babies display more observable behaviour
  • show preference for people rather than inanimate objects and enjoy human company - prefer familiar adults
  • usually accept cuddles and comfort from any adult - dont usually show seperation/ stranger anxiety
• indiscriminate attachment is due to the attachment type not being different towards one person
• specific attachment stage

  • 7 months - 9 months
  • start to display anxiety towards strangers and anxious when separated from particular individual
  • particular individual = primary attachment figure - offers most interaction and responds accordingly to babies signals
• multiple attachment stage

  • 10 months onwards
  • extend attachment behaviour to multiple adults who they spend time with regularly
  • relationships known as secondary attachment
• glasgow study - schaffer and emerson

  • aimed to investigate formulation of early attachment in particular age groups in which attachment types were developed, who attachment was directed to and the emotional intensity of each stage
• method of glasgow study

  • 60 babies - 31 males, 29 females
  • glasgow location - most studied from working class families
  • mothers and babies visited at home each month for 1st year and then at 18 months
  • researchers asked questions - what kind of protest the babies showed in 7 everyday situations (e.g. adult leaving room - separation anxiety. response to unfamiliar adults - stranger anxiety)
• findings of glasgow study

  • between 6-8 months of age about 50% of babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards particular adult - usually mother - specific attachment
  • attachment tended to be with caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to infant signals + facial expressions (reciprocity)
  • by 9 months - 80 displayed babies had specific attachment and 30% displayed multiple attachment
• evaluation points for schaffers stages of attachment

  • unreliable data
  • biassed sample
  • inaccuracy in stage theories
  • cultural variations
• unreliable data being eval point for schaffers stages of attachment

  • limitation of study by schaffer and emerson includes data collected could be unreliable
  • data collection used was self reports by mothers of babies involved where they had to record childs development regarding attachment
  • problem as mothers may not have followed same procedures in collecting data (may have not been completely honest regarding relationship between selves and baby - social desirability bias)
  • data collected can limit explanation due to it being systematically biassed meaning validity of findings is reduced
• biassed sample being eval point for schaffers stages of attachment

  • used sample size of 60 which was good considering amount of data collected
• unreliable data being eval point for schaffers stages of attachment

  • sample size of 60 which - good considering amount of data collected
  • families involved were from same district and social class in glasgow which meant findings would have been biased when generalised due to only collecting data from certain city
  • additionally study was from 50 years ago whereby attachment styles would have been hugely different - temporal validity
  • child rearing practices vary from each culture - example - number of stay at home dads has quadrupled in past 25 years
  • hard to generalise - low external validity
• inaccuracy in stage theories as eval point for schaffers stages of attachment

  • schaffer and emerson suggest attachment occurs in stages
  • limitation is that theory suggests development of attachment is inflexible meaning all individuals go through same process at same time
  • however - other cultures such as collectivist cultures were children have multiple carers - wont follow stages
  • individual differences may mean not everyone will experience stage theory the same
  • theory is problem due to inferring those who have different experiences should be seen as abnormal
• cultural variation as eval point for schaffers stages of attachment

  • cannot be applied to individualist cultures
  • germans bring their children up through promoting independence so their attachment may not follow same stages
  • sagi found children raised in communal environments were less likely to have close attachments with mothers as opposed to those brought up in family environment
  • stages arent applicable to all cultures where practices in child rearing can be different