Attachment

• Reciprocity is when an infant and a mother respond to each others signals.
• Interactional synchrony is when an infant and a carer mirror each others behaviours.
• Schaffer & Emerson

  Studied 60 babies at monthly intervals, observed in their own homes over the course of 18 months (longitudinal study). Also, the mothers kept a diary of evidence of attachments.

  Limitation)Low population validity because they all were from working families in Glasgow -> cannot generalise findings to other people.
• Schaffer & Emerson

  Limitation)Diaries may not be reliable, due to social desirability and demand characteristics mother may have not written anything that would make them look like bad carers.
• 1st stage of attachment

  Asocial stage (0-6 weeks)

  ->Feel indifferent to both human and non-human contact.
• 2nd stage of attachment

  Indiscriminate stage (6 weeks - 7 months)

  ->Enjoy human company over objects
• 3rd stage of attachment

  Discriminate attachment (7 months- 1 year)

  ->Prefers a single person, known as the primary attachment figure.
• 4th/last stage of attachment

  Multiple attachments(1 year+)

  ->Forms attachments other than the primary attachments. They are known as secondary attachments.