Shaffers Stages of Attachment

• Shaffer and Emerson (1964) studied 60 babies and mothers, every month from birth for a year, then again at 18 months.


  The infant’s attachment to their mother was measured using separation anxiety, which was assessed by asking mothers the kind of protest the babies showed in seven everyday separations, for example, the adult leaving the room
• Stage one: Asocial stage (first few weeks)


  Babys behaviour towards inanimate objects and humans is quite similar
• Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months)


  Babies accept cuddles and comfort from any adult and do not usually show stranger anxiety or separation anxiety.
• Stage 3: Specific attachment (from around 7 months)

  measurements of stranger anxiety and separation anxiety show most infants have formed an attachment with a primary attachment figure.
• Stage 4: Multiple attachment (by 1 year)


  secondary attachments formed with other adults that they regularly spend time with, shortly after forming primary attachment.
• Research has good validity (+AO3)

  No demand characteristics and high ecological validity - having mothers observe and report back on the childs behaviour would not have affected the childs behaviour)
• High internal validity (+AO3)


  Longitudinal design - the same children were followed and observed over a long period of time.

  The results are not due to individual differences but instead show how the child changes in its attachment behaviour.
• Generalisability (-AO3)


  Study only involved working class families from Glasgow.
• Social desirability bias (-AO3)


  mothers were observing their own chlids behaviours. they may not have told the truth as they may have wanted to present themselves in a good light.