stages of attachment

Question 1

asocial

Answer 1

0-6 weeks,infant responds to objects and people similarly. more focus of faces and eyes

Question 2

indiscriminate

Answer 2

6 weeks-6 months, infant develops more responses to human company. can tell the difference between people and can be comforted by anyone

Question 3

specific

Answer 3

7 months+,infant prefers 1 particular carer- seeks for comfort and security in particular people. separation+stranger anxiety happens

Question 4

multiple

Answer 4

10/11 months+, infant forms multiple attachments and seeks security+comfort in multiple people. shows separation and stranger anxiety for multiple people

Question 5

Schaffer & Emerson- evidence of stages

Answer 5

Studied 60 babies in Glasgow for 18 months.
= babies form attachments based on responsive care, not just time. Most had one specific attachment by 7 months, and multiple by 10 months. Showed that attachment happens in stages + quality of care is important

Question 6

weakness of Schaffer & Emerson study

Answer 6

small, limited samples, making the findings difficult to generalise to wider populations.

Cross-cultural differences, such as Tronick’s study of Zaire infants who showed strong attachment to their mother but not others, highlight that attachment behaviours can vary across cultures, reducing the universality of the findings.