Schaffer's stages of Attachment Flashcards
1
Q
State the 4 stages of attachment
A
- Asocial (birth to 2 months)
- Indiscriminate (2-6 months)
- Discriminate (7-12 months)
- Multiple (1 year onwards)
2
Q
Describe the asocial stage
A
Infant shows similar responses to objects and people
3
Q
Describe the indiscriminate stage
A
- infant shows preference for human company
- can distinguish between people but can be comforted by anyone
4
Q
Describe the discriminate stage
A
Infant shows preference for one caregiver and shows separation and stranger anxiety
5
Q
Describe the multiple stage
A
Infant forms attachments with many people, forming secondary attachments
6
Q
What study shows support for the stages of attachment?
A
Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
7
Q
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - procedure
A
- studies 60 babies fro Glasgow, working class families
- babies and mothers were visited every month for a year then at 18 months
- mothers were asked about separation and stranger anxiety
8
Q
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - findings
A
- 50% babies showed separation anxiety at 6-8 months
- after 10 months, 80% had a specific attachment and 30% had multiple attachments
9
Q
Strength - high external validity
A
- observations were carried out in homes so natural behaviour
- mothers observed and took notes when there were no observers so behaviour was not affected
10
Q
Strength - real-world application
A
- parents’ use of day care can be planned using Schaffer and Emerson’s stages
- in the asocial and indiscriminate stages, babies can be comforted by any adult so best time to be put in day care
11
Q
Limitation - culturally biased
A
- idea that attachment with a single caregiver has to occur before multiple attachments reflects only individualistic cultures
- Izjendoorn’s meta-analysis found some cultures had multiple attachments as the norm
12
Q
Limitation - low internal validity with asocial stage
A
- young babies have poor coordination and are fairly immobile
- anxiety may have been shown in a subtle, hard-to-observe manner
- makes it difficult for mothers to observe and report
13
Q
Limitation - biased and subjective
A
- mothers are unlikely to be objective
- they may have misremembered or not noticed signs of anxiety
