Stages of attachment #

• [Schaffer + Emerson]

  • longitudinal, observational study
  • 60 babies- 31 boys and 29 girls
  • Working class families in Glasgow
  • visited every month of the first year and at 18 months
  • questioned the kind of protests shown in 7 everyday seperations
• Findings of Schaffer and Emersons study

  • showed separation from attachment figure at 6-8 months
  • strongly attached infants-mothers who responded to their needs quickly
  • 87% had multiple attachments- 18 months
• Stages of Attachment

  • Social stage (0-2months)
  • Indiscriminate attachment (2-7months)
  • Discriminate attachment (7 months+)
  • Multiple attachments (9 monthss+)
• Asocial stage

  • 0-2 months
  • Infants prefer people but have no preferences
  • Display innate behaviours/smiling
• Indiscriminate attachment

  • (2-7) months
  • allows strangers to hold them
  • discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people
• Discriminate attachment

  • 7 months +
  • develop specific attachments -distressed when seperated
  • Avoid strangers
• Multiple attachments

  • 9 months+
  • strong emotional bonds with other caregivers
  • Fear of strangers weakens
  • Closest to mother
• Multiple attachments- are to two or more people.

  • develop after one strong attachment is formed
• Studies into Multiple attachments

  • [Schaffer & Emerson]-29% of children formed secondary attachments within a month of forming a specific attachment
• Limitations of schaffer + EmersonSAMPLE BIAS
• Limitations of [Schaffer+Emerson]


  -Sample bias

  • 60 working class babies from Glasgow- same district and social class- child-rearing practices vary from one culture- lacks generalisability