Schaffer stages + study

Question 1

State the stages of attachment

Answer 1

Asocial
Indiscriminate
Specific
Multiple

Question 2

Stages of attachment: Asocial

Answer 2

First few weeks
Behaviour towards non-human objects and humans similar
Some preference for familiar adults (easier for them to calm baby and baby happier in their prescence)

Question 3

Stages of attachment: Indiscriminate

Answer 3

2-7 months
Preference for people over inanimate objects
Recognise and prefer familiar adults
No separation/stranger anxiety
Accept cuddles and comfort from any adult

Question 4

Stages of attachment: Multiple

Answer 4

Soon after specific, by one year

Attachent to other adults who they regularly spend time with (secondary attachments)

Question 5

State the evalutions for Schaffer’s stages of attachment

Answer 5

• Problem studying asocial stage
• Conflicting evidence on multiple attachments
• Measuring multiple attachments

Question 6

Evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Problem studying asocial stage

Answer 6

During first few weeks of life, babies are mostly immobile and have poor co-ordination, not much observable behaviour

Question 7

Evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Conflicting evidence on multiple attachments

Answer 7

Some research indicates most/all form attachment to single main carer before capable of developing multiple attachments (Bowlby, 1969) Others, especially those working in cultures where multiple varegivers are the norm, believe babies form multiple attachments from the outset (van Ijzendoorn et al. 1993) (collectivist cultures)

Question 8

Evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment: Measuring multiple attachments

Answer 8

If a baby gets distressed when an individual leaves the room, doesn’t mean the individual is a “true” attachment figure. Bowlby (1969) pointed out chuldren have playmates, kids can get distressed when they leave the room, doesn’t mean kid has attachment to playmate. These observations leave no way to distinguish between behaviour shown towards secondary attachment figures and playmates

Question 9

What was the aim of Schaffer and Emerson (1964)?

Answer 9

To investigate the formation of early attachments; in particular the age they were developed at, their emotional intensity and to whom they were directed

Question 10

What was the method of Schaffer and Emerson (1964)?

Answer 10

60 babies  (31 males, 29 females from Glasgow, majority from skilled working-class families)
Babies and mothers visited at home every month for first year and at 18 months. Researchers asked the mothers questions about the kinds of protests babies showed in 7 everyday separations
Designed to measure infant's attachment 
Researchers assesed stranger anxiety

Question 11

What were the findings of Schaffer and Emerson (1964)?

Answer 11

Between 25 and 32 weeks of age, 50% of babies showed separation anxiety towards a particular adult, usually mother (specific attachment)
Attachment tended to be to the caregiver who was most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions (reciprocity) Not always the person who the infant spent the most time with
By 40 weeks, 80% had a specific attachment and almost 30% displayed multiple attachment

Question 12

State the evaluations of Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

Answer 12

Good exteral validity
Longitudinal design
Limited sample characteristics

Question 13

Evaluating Schaffer and Emerson (1964): Good external validity

Answer 13

Carried out in the families’ own homes and most of the observation (apart from stranger anxiety) was done by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers later. Behaviour unlikley affected by prescence of observers. Good external validity

Question 14

Evaluating Schaffer and Emerson (1964): Longitudinal deisgn

Answer 14

Same children were followed up and observed reguarly. Quicker alternative is observing different children at each age (cross-sectional design). longitudinal designs have better internal validity, don’t have confounding variable of individual differences between participants (participant variables)

Question 15

Evaluating Schaffer and Emerson (1964): Limited sample characteristics

Answer 15

Sample size was good considering large volume of data gathered on each participant. All being from Glasgow and same social class over 50 years of age is a limitation
Child-rearing practices differ from culture to culture and historical period to another, Don't generalise well to other social and historical contexts