Stages Of Attachment AO3

Question 1

✅ How does Carpenter’s (1975) study support the idea that infants can recognize their mothers early?

Answer 1

Carpenter (1975) found that two-week-old babies looked longer at their mother’s face when paired with her voice and showed distress when the voice didn’t match the face. This suggests infants can recognize and prefer their mothers early on.

Question 2

❌ Why is it difficult to study the asocial stage of attachment?

Answer 2

Babies under two months have poor coordination and are mostly immobile, making it hard to determine if their behaviors are deliberate or meaningful. This reduces the validity of observations.

Question 3

❌ What is the issue with the evidence on the development of multiple attachments?

Answer 3

There is mixed evidence. Bowlby suggested primary attachment forms first, but cultural research shows multiple attachments may occur from the outset. This inconsistency limits our understanding.

Question 4

❌ Why is there a problem with how attachment is assessed in infants?

Answer 4

Researchers often assume that distress when an adult leaves indicates attachment. However, infants can show distress when a playmate leaves without being attached to them, making attachment assessment inaccurate.