The Development of Attachment

The Development of Attachment

1. Stages of attachment- Schaffer and Emerson

   • Stage 1- indiscriminate attachments
   • Stage 2- beginnings of attachment
   • Stage 3- specific attachment
   • Stage 4- multiple attachments

2. Description

   • The role of the father
     • Changing social practices and increased exposure might lead to primary attachments
   • Biological factors
     • Women have hormones which encourage caringness
   • Nevertheless, men are primary attachment figures or share this role
   • Secondary attachment
     • Fathers are more playful and better at problem solving

3. Evalution

   • Unreliable data
     • Mothers of less securely attached infants would be less sensitive and possibly less accurate in their reports, a systematic bias
   • Biased sample
     • Working-class population from 1960s, results may not generalise
   • Multiple attachments
     • Rutter argued that all relationships are equivalent

4. Further evaluation

   • Cultural variations
   • Stage theories of attachment- may be too inflexible