Schaffers stages of attachment

Question 1

What are stages of attachment?

Answer 1

Many developmental theories identify a sequence of qualitatively different behaviours linked to specific ages.

Question 2

What is the Asocial stage?

Answer 2

First few weeks of life
Babies behaviour towards humans and inanimate objects is very similar
Baby is forming bonds with certain people and these form the basis of later attachments

Question 3

What is the indiscriminate attachment stage?

Answer 3

2-7 months
Display more obvious and observable social behaviours
Clear preferences for being with other humans rather than inanimate objects.
No separation or stranger anxiety shown

Question 4

What is the specific attachment stage?

Answer 4

7 months - 1 yrs
Display classic signs of attachment towards one particular person.
Separation anxiety when separated from primary caregiver
Stranger anxiety
Baby has formed specific attachment to 1 person

Question 5

What is the multiple attachments stage?

Answer 5

1+ years old
Baby extends attachment to multiple adults (secondary attachments)

Question 6

What did Scaffer and Emerson find?

Answer 6

50% babies showed separation anxiety usually towards mother between 25 - 32 weeks of age
40 weeks - 80% specific attachments and 30% displayed multiple attachments
Babies found to develop attachments through series of stages

Question 6

What was Scaffer and Emersons research?

Answer 6

Observational study of the formation of early infant attachments
60 babies
Working class families from Glasgow
Babies and mother visted at home every month of first year
Again at 18 months
Separation and stranger anxiety of babies was measured
Separation anxiety - Asked mothers what kind of protest babies showed when they were absent
Stranger anxiety - Asked mothers kind of protest babies showed when a stranger was present

Question 7

What is an evaluation of Schaffers stages of attachment?
Good external validity

Answer 7

Observations made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to the researchers
Researchers present record observations - could have distracted the babies or made them feel more anxious
Meaning it is highly likely the participants behaved naturally while being observed

Question 8

What is an evaluation of Schaffers stages of attachment?
Counterpoint to good external validity

Answer 8

Issues with asking the mother to be the observers
Unlikely to be objective observers
Might have been based in terms of what they noticed and what they recorded.
Might not have noticed when their baby was showing signs of anxiety or may have misremembered it.
Meaning even if babies behaved naturally their behaviour may not have been accurately recorded

Question 9

What is an evaluation of Schaffers stages of attachment?
Poor evidence for the asocial stage

Answer 9

Young babies have poor coordination and are immobile
Less than two moths old felt anciety in everyday situations they might have displayed this in quite subtle, hard to observe ways.
Difficult for mothers to observe and report back to researchers on signs of anxiety and attachment of this age group.
Meaning that the babies may actually be quite social, flawed methods - appear to be asocial

Question 10

What is an evaluation of Schaffers stages of attachment?
Real world application

Answer 10

Practical application in day care
Asocial and indiscriminate stages day care is likely to be straightforward as babies can be comforted by any skilled adult
Research tells us that day care especially starting day care with a unfamiliar adult
May be problematic during the specific attachment stage
Meaning that parents use of day care can be planned using Schaffer and Emersons stages