Stages of attachment

Stages of attachment

1. Schaffer and emerson method: 60 glasgow babies,visited at home every month for a year and at 18m ,wanted to measure attachment through asking mother about the protest sown in different situations( measured seperation protest and stranger anxiety),

   • Findings: 50% of babies showed seperation anxiety-attachments tended to be with the caregiver who was the most sensitive and interactive.

2. Stages of attachment

   • Asocial (first few weeks)= treat inanimate objects and humans similarly.
     • Indiscriminate (2-7 months) = preference to people over inanimate objects .
       • Specific (from 7 months) = stranger and separation anxiety -formed specific attachment with primary figure.
         • Multiple ( by one year) = secondary attachments -29% of infants had 2nd attachment 1 month after primary-by one year they had multiple .

3. Positive Evaluation: study has external validity (most of observations made my parent so beh. is unlikely to be affected by presence of observers)-- study was carried out longitidinally (same children followed as there is no individual differences)

4. Negative Evaluation: may be a problem with how multiple attachments are assessed( baby getting distressed when someone leaves doesnt mean they are attached-playmate)--there is a problem in studying asocial stage (babies may actually be social but are too young-poor coordination)