Zusammenfassung der Ressource
3.2 Stages of Attachment
- Schaffer and Emerson (1964): studied 60 babies, all from Glasgow
of similar class backgrounds. Visited mothers in their own homes
at 1 year then again at 18 months. Interviewed the mothers about
the babies behaviour to measure adaption.
- Stages:
- 1. Asocial Stage - Little distinction between
humans and inanimate objects, tend to show
preference for eyes and company of people
familiar to them.
- 2. Indiscriminate attachment - 2-7 months, show clear
preference for other humans rather than objects.
Recognise and prefer familiar people. Do not show
separation or stranger anxiety.
- 3. Specific attachment - 7 months +,
display stranger and separation anxiety.
Said to have formed a primary
attachment to a certain person by this
point, most commonly the mother.
- 4. Multiple attachments - 1 year, begin to form multiple
secondary attachments, show clear anxiety and
attachment behaviours. 29% formed secondary
attachments within a month of forming a primary one.
- Evaluation
- Strengths:
- Good external validity. Most observations were made by
parents during ordinary activities, highly likely that
behaviour was natural.
- Practical application. Parents' use of daycare
can be planned alongside attachment stages.
- Weaknesses:
- Poor evidence for asocial stage.
Young babies are fairly immobile so
their actions may have been subtle,
therefore there is difficulty in
observing and picking up signs.
- Bias issues. The mother as the observer
is unlikely to be closely objective.