Attachment key terms (paper 1)

Question 1

Stage 1: Asocial stage (first few weeks)?

Answer 1

• Baby’s behaviour towards non-human objects and humans is quite similar.
• Baby’s show some preference for familiar adults, as they find these individuals easier to calm them.
• babies also happier when in the presence of other humans.

Question 2

Stage 2: Indiscriminate attachment?

Answer 2

• From 2 - 7 months babies display more observable social behaviour.
• They show a preference for people rather than inanimate objects, and recognise and prefer familiar adults.
• At this stage babies accept cuddles and comfort from any adults, and they don’t usually show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety.
• Their attachment behaviour is said to be indiscriminate because it is not different towards any person.

Question 3

Stage 3: Specific attachment?

Answer 3

• From around 7 months the majority of the babies start to display anxiety towards strangers and to become anxious when separated from one particular adult (usually the biological mother in 65% of cases).
• At this point it is said that the baby has formed specific attachments.
• The adults is the primary attachment figure.
• This is not necessarily the person the child spends most time with, but the one who offers the most interaction and responds to the baby’s signals with the most skill.

Question 4

Stage 3: Multiple attachments?

Answer 4

• Shortly after babies start to show attachment behaviour towards one adult they usually extend their attachments to multiple attachments with other adults with who they regularly spend time with.
• These relationships are called secondary attachments.
• In schaffer and Emersons study, 29% of children had secondary attachments within a month of forming a primary.
• By the age of about one year the majority of infants had developed multiple attachments.

Question 5

Attachment?

Answer 5

• A two-way emotional bond between two individuals, which they have for a sense of emotional security.

Question 6

Reciprocity?

Answer 6

• A description of how two people interact.
• Caregiver-infant interactions is reciprocal where both individuals respond to each signals and each elicits a response from the other.