Schaffer's stages of attachment

• Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

  Method

  Involved 60 babies from skilled working-class families in Glasgow. Babies and their mothers visited every month for the first year and at 18 months. The researches asked mothers questions about the kinds of protest the babies showed (assessed separation and stranger anxiety).
• Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) 2

  Findings

  Between 25 and 32 weeks about 50% showed signs of separation anxiety towards a specific adult (usually mother) - specific attachment. Attachment tended to be to the caregiver who is most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions (reciprocity). Not necessarily who the infant spent the most time w/. By 40 weeks 80% had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachments.
• Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)- evaluation

  Good external validity. Carried out in families' own homes and most observations actually done by parents during ordinary activities. Means behaviour of babies unlikely to be affected by presence of observers. Excellent chance that ppts behaved naturally when observed.
• Key study: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)- evaluation 2

  Limited sample characteristics. All families involved were from the same district, social class and city and at a time over 50 years ago. Child-rearing practices vary from one culture to another and one historical period to another. Results do not necessarily generalise well to other social and historical contexts.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment

  Stage 1: asocial stage (first few weeks)

  The baby is recognising and forming bonds with its carers but behaviour between non-human objects and human objects is similar. Show some preference for familiar adults in that they find it easier to calm them. Happier when in presence of other humans.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment 2

  Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment

  From 2-7 months babies display more observable social behaviour. Show preference for people rather than inanimate objects, and recognise and prefer familiar adults. Usually accept cuddles and comfort from any adult, and don't show separation or stranger anxiety. Therefore, attachment behaviour is indiscriminate as it is not diff towards any one person.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment 3

  Stage 3: Specific attachment

  From around 7 months the majority start to display anxiety towards strangers and become anxious when separated from one particular parent (biological mother 65% of the time). Form specific attachment to the primary attachment figure- not necessarily who they spend the most time w/ but who offers most interaction and responds to baby's 'signals' w/ most skill.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment 4

  Stage 4: Multiple attachments

  Shortly after showing attachment behaviour to one adult, usually extended to multiple attachments w/ other adults- secondary attachments. In Schaffer and Emerson's study , 29% had secondary attachment within a month of forming primary attachment. By 1 year, most formed multiple attachments.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment- evaluation

  There are problems studying the asocial stage. Babies only a few weeks old have poor co-ordination and pretty much immobile, meaning there isn't much observable behaviour to make any judgements about.
• Schaffer's stages of attachment- evaluation 2

  There may be a problem w/ how multiple attachment is assessed. Just because baby gets distressed when individual leaves room doesn't mean individual is 'true' attachment figure. Bowlby (1969) pointed out that children have playmates as attachment figures and may get distressed when they leave but this does not sig attachment. Problem for stages as observations don't leave us a way of distinguishing behaviour shown towards playmates and attachment figures.