Attachment

Question 1

what is the first stage of Schaffer and Emerson’s stage theory of attachment and when does it occur?

Answer 1

1. indiscriminate attachments (birth - 2 months). reciprocity and interactional synchrony play a role

Question 2

name the three other stages of attachment, when they occur and what they entail

Answer 2

2. beginnings of attachment (2-4 months). infant seeks attention from a number of individuals, don’t yet show stranger anxiety
3. discriminate attachments (4-7 months). infant forms a strong attachment to one individual, separation and stranger anxiety
4. multiple attachment stage (7-9 months +). baby forms secondary attachments, siblings and other children

Question 3

what was the procedure for the Glasgow babies study (Schaffer and Emerson)?

Answer 3

studied 60 infants mostly from working class families, 5-23 weeks old, the mothers were visited every 4 weeks and asked to observe and record child’s response to separation in different everyday situations. intensity of the child’s protest was recorded on a 4 point scale, stranger anxiety was also measured

Question 4

what are some criticisms of the Glasgow babies study?

Answer 4

it is based on unreliable data - mothers reports, may be biased or less sensitive to infants protests
the sample is biased - all infants from working class homes, only valid for this social group
temporal validity - carried out in 1960s