Lesson 2 - Stages of Attachment

Question 1

Shaffer and Emerson (1964)

Answer 1

Investigated development of attachment in infants using a longitudinal study where they followed 60 infants and their mothers for 2 years
Decided there were four stages in development of attachment in infants

Question 2

Development stages of attachment in infants

Answer 2

Pre-attachment (0 - 3 months)
Indiscriminate attachment (3 - 7 months)
Discriminate attachment (7 months onwards)
Multiple attachments (7 months onwards)

Question 3

Development Stages of Attachment

Pre-Attachment

Answer 3

From 6 weeks of age infants become attracted to other humans, preferring them to objects and events
This preference is demonstrated by their smiling at people’s faces

Question 4

Development Stages of Attachment

Indiscriminate Attachment

Answer 4

Infants begin to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people, smiling more at people they know
They will still allow strangers to handle them

Question 5

Development Stages of Attachment

Discriminate Attachment

Answer 5

Infants develop specific attachment to primary attachment figure staying close to that person
Show separation protest and display stranger anxiety
Schaffer and Emerson noticed infant’s primary attachment figure was not always person who spent most time with child
Concluded it is the quality of relationship, not quantity

Question 6

Development Stages of Attachment

Multiple Attachment

Answer 6

After developing first attachment, infants develop strong emotion ties with other major caregivers such as father and grandparents and non caregivers such as siblings
These are called secondary attachments
Fear of strangers weakens but attachment to primary attachment figure remains the strongest

Question 7

Stages of Attachment Evaluation

Shaffer and Emerson (1964)

Answer 7

Data collected may be unreliable as it was based on mothers’ report of their infants
Some mothers might have been less sensitive to their infant’s protests and less likely to report

Question 8

Stages of Attachment Evaluation

Social Biased

Answer 8

Sample only included infants from a working-class population thus findings may not apply to other social groups

Question 9

Stages of Attachment Evaluation

Culture Biased

Answer 9

Sample biased as it only includes infants from individualist cultures
Infants from collectivist cultures could form attachments in a different way

Question 10

Stages of Attachment Evaluation

Temporal Validity

Answer 10

Lacks temporal validity
Conducted in the 1960s and parental care of children has changed considerably since then
More women go out to work and more men stay at home

Question 11

Stages of Attachment Evaluation

Individual Differences

Answer 11

Stages theories are inflexible and do not take account of individual differences
Some infants might form multiple attachment first rather than starting single attachment

Question 12

Stages of Attachment Evaluation Points

Answer 12

Shaffer and Emerson (1964)
Social Biased
Culture Biased
Temporal Validity
Individual Differences

Question 13

Role of the Father

Answer 13

Inconsistency in the research into the role of the father and whether he plays a distinct role
Some shows fathers provide play and stimulation to complement role of mother (providing emotion support) and both are crucial to wellbeing
Other research shows no distinction
Research investing effects of growing up in a single female or same-sex family show no effect on development and suggest role of father is not important

Question 14

Role of the Father

Shaffer and Emerson (1964)

Answer 14

Found fathers less likely to be primary attachment figure than mothers
May be because less time is spent with infant
Possible that most men are not as psychologically equipped to form an intense attachment because they lack the emotional sensitivity that women have
Could be due to biological factors
Female hormone oxytocin underlies caring behaviour so women are more orientated to interpersonal goals than men
Could be due to societal norms as feminine is more sensitive to needs of others

Question 15

Role of the Father

Shaffer and Emerson (1964) and Field (1978)

Answer 15

Men do form attachments with children
S&E found 75% of infants studied had formed an attachment with their father at 18 months
Fathers can even be primary attachment figure (Field, 1978)
Role of rather in a single-parents family is more likely to adopt the traditional maternal role, to be the primary caregiver and a nurturing attachment figure