2. Stages of Attachment

• 1. Stages of Attachment - Schaffer + Emerson

  Schaffer + Emerson (1964):

  • 60 babies.
  • Visited every month for a year.
  • Mothers questioned about behaviours in 7 situations.
  • Measured separation + stranger anxiety.
• 1a. Stages of Attachment - Schaffer + Emerson

  Schaffer + Emerson (1964) - Results:

  • 50% infants = separation anxiety towards adult/mother.
  • Significant attachment = caregiver reciprocal.
  • 3%, father sole attachment figure.
  • By 40 weeks, 80% infants specific attachment + 30% multiple attachments.
• 1b. Stages of Attachment - Schaffer + Emerson

  Schaffer + Emerson (1964):

  • Triangulation = self-report + observations.
• 2. Stages of Attachment

  Asocial Stage:

  • firsts weeks life.
  • similar behaviour to objects/humans, prefer familiars.

  Indiscriminate Phase:

  • 2-7 months.
  • discriminate between familiar/unfamiliar.
  • low separation/stranger anxiety.
• 2a. Stages of Attachment

  Specific Attachment:

  • 7 months+.
  • 65%, primary attachment figure = mother.
  • separation + stranger anxiety.

  Multiple Attachments:

  • after primary attachment formed.
  • secondary attachments.
  • Schaffer + Emerson (1964), 29% developed multiple attachments within month of bonding w/ primary attachment figure.
• Stages of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - high external validity.

  E - observations by parents.

  E - researchers present, could‘ve distracted or made anxious.

  L - infants behaved naturally, removing demand characteristics, increases internal + external validity.
• Stages of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - mothers used as observers.

  E - unlikely objective.

  E - biased in what noticed/reported.

  L - lowers internal validity.
• Stages of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - validity of measures used to assess attachment in asocial stage.

  E - infants poor co-ordination, subtle displays of anxiety.

  E - difficult to observe.

  L - infants may’ve been social but reported as asocial bc interpretation difficulty; lowers internal validity.
• Stages of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - real-life/practical application in day care.

  E - asocial + indiscriminate stages, infants comforted by skilled adult in day care.

  E - study suggests day care (i.e. starting day w/ unfamiliar adult) problematic in specific attachment stage.

  L - parents‘ day care use can be planned using Schaffer + Emerson’s stages.