Stages of attachment Flashcards
Who identified stages of attachments/multiple attachments?
Schaffer
What was Schaffers aim?
To investigate the formation of early attachments
What was Schaffers sample?
60 working class newborn babies and their mothers from Glasgow
What type of study was Schaffers?
Longitudinal
How often were the babies and mothers visited in Schaffers research?
Every month for the first year of the babies life then again at 18 months
How did Schaffer study the babies and mothers?
Observations and interviews
What were the two ways Schaffer measured attachment?
Separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety
How did Schaffer measure separation anxiety?
Leaving the infant alone in the room
Asking the mother how the infant reacts in this instant
How did Schaffer measure stranger anxiety?
Started each visit by approaching the infant to see if they become distressed
Asked the mother who the baby smiles at
How many stages of attachment were found by Schaffer?
4
Name the 4 stages of attachment
Asocial
Indiscriminate
Specific
Multiple
Describe the Asocial stage?
First few weeks at birth
Babies behaviour to adults and inanimate objects was similar
Describe the indiscriminate stage?
2-7 months
Babies show a preference for people over inanimate objects, do not show stranger or separation anxiety
Describe the specific stage?
Around 7 months
Babies start to form attachments and show separation and stranger anxiety
Describe the multiple stage?
Within 1 month of forming specific attachment, 29% of children have formed multiple attachments
