Stages of Attachment

Stages of Attachment

1. Schaffer & Emerson

   • 60 Glasgow babies.
     • Working class families.
   • Mothers were asked to keep a diary of the babies responses in certain situations.
     • left alone in a room.
     • left in their pram outside the house
     • left with other people
     • left in their cot at night
     • Put down after being held by an adult
     • Parents may not want to admit they are not securely attached -> demand characteristics.
   • Also carried out observations
     • Good external validity. Babies were studied in their own home.

2. Results

   • Up to 3 months
     • Asocial Stage
       • Problem with studying the asocial stage
         • We don't know the reason the baby is responding. There isn't much behaviour to observe.
   • After 4 months
     • Indiscriminate stage
   • After 7 months
     • Specific attachment
   • After 9 months
     • Multiple attachment
       • Conflicting evidence
         • Cultural Variations
       • Difficult to assess an attachment figure.
         • Children will get upset when their friend leaves -> does not mean an attachment has been formed.