Stages of Attachment

Stages of Attachment

1. A01: Pink A03: Blue

2. Method and Findings

   • This study aimed to find the formtion of early attachment, specifically, at what age it developed, the intensity, and with whom.
     • There were a total of 60 babies involved in the study, 31 males and 29 females. All from Glasgow and all from skilled working class families.
       • The babies and their mothers were visited in their homes every month for a year and then again at 18 months.
         • The researchers would ask the mothers questions about the kind of objection the babies showed in seven everyday separations. For example, adult leaving the room ( a form of separation anxiety)
           • This was to measure the level of attachment, They also assessed stranger anxiety (anxiety response to unfamiliar people)
   • They found that between 25 and 32 weeks, around 50% of the babies showed signs of separation anxiety towards a particular adult (specific attachment).
     • This anxiety was usually directed towards the adult that was the most interactive and sensitive to infant signals and facial expressions (reciprocity). Not necessarily the person the infant spent the most time with.
       • By 40 weeks, 80% of the babies displayed a specific attachment and almost 30% showed multiple attachments.

3. Schaffer and Emerson

4. The Four Stages

   • Stage 1: Asocial Stage (first few weeks)
     • Despite the term used by the researchers, this is not really an asocial stage. The baby recognises nd forms bond with the caregivers, but the interaction with humans and with inanimate objects does not differ much.
       • Babies show some preference towards adults that are familiar, and those people find it easier to calm the babies. Babies are also happier in the presence of other humans.
   • Stage 2: Indiscriminate Attachment
     • From 2-7 months, babies display more observable social behaviour. They show a preference to humans rather than objects and even recognise and prefer familiar adults.
       • This attachment is indiscriminate as it is not different towards any one person, babies will accept hugs and cuddling from any adult and do not show separation or stranger anxiety.
   • Stage 4: Multiple Attachments
     • Shortly after Stage 3, attachment extends to multiple other people the baby spends time with regularly. This is called secondary attachment.
       • In the researchers' study, 29% of the babies had a secondary attachment one month after developing a primary attachment. By the age of 1 year, most of the infants had developed multiple attachments.
   • Stage 3: Specific Attachment
     • By 7 months, most babies show stranger anxiety and display separation anxiety towards one particular person, which is in 65% of cases the mother.
       • At this point the baby has developed a specific attachment to the primary attachment figure, not necessarily the person they spend the most time with but the perosn who responds to the baby's signals with the most skill.

5. The study has good external validity, as it was carried out within the children's own homes and most of the findings, other than stranger anxiety, were recorded and reported by the parents.

   • This means that the babies most likely behaved in a natural way, unaffected by observers, therefore showing good external validity.
     • Another strength, the study was carried out longitudinally, meaning that the same children was observed and regularly checked up on. The faster way, would have been to observe different children at different ages, known as a cross-sectional design.
       • However, conducting a longitudinal study over a cross-sectional one means there will be higher internal validity, as there is no confounding variable of the participants' individual differences.
         • Though the sample size was quite large, the participants were all within the same class, district and city and the study took place over 50 years ago.
           • Raising children differs from culture to culture and within different time periods, therefore the results do not generalise well to other cultures and time periods.

6. The evidence provided for the asocial stage is not sufficient. Babies at that age have poor coordination and are practically motionless. This does not mean that the child's feelings and awareness are not social.

   • There is conflicting evidence on when exactly multiple attachments are formed, Bowlby (1969) agrees with Schaffer and Emerson that a primary attachment is developed before babies have the capability to form multiple attachments.
     • van IJzendoorn et al. (1993), argue that babies form multiple attachments from the beginning. Families in collectivist cultures have multiple people that help with caring for the child and so babies form attachments to many adults.
       • It is also hard to measure multiple attachments. Children getting distressed when someone leaves a room does not necessarily mean they formed a real attachment to that person.
         • Bowlby (1969( pointed out that children get distressed when a playmate leaves but this does not signify attachment. This is a problem as Schaffer and Emerson's research does not provide a way to distinguish between secondary attachment and relationships with playmates.