SECTION: Stages of Attachment
TOPIC: Attachment
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U) KEY WORD GLOSSARY
1. Stages of attachment link quality of behaviours to certain Asocial Stage
ages, an infant goes through them to form their style of Indiscriminate Stage
attachment. Specific Attachment
Multiple Attachments
2. Asocial Stage = First few weeks - when the infant interacts
Primary / Secondary Attachments
with objects and humans similarly but even in this stage, they
showed better comfort with any person (prefer people.)
3. Indiscriminate Stage = 2 – 7 months - the infant finds comfort
with familiar people but usually no signs of stranger anxiety –
comfort from anyone.
4. Specific Attachment = from 7 months – form a primary
attachment showing signs of separation/stranger anxiety
5. Multiple Attachments = they extend behaviours with other
people who they are regularly with (secondary attachments.)
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: Schaffer and Emerson 1964
Studies 60 babies from working class families in Glasgow, visiting them once a month for a year and then at 18 months.
The mothers were asked to observe and report the behaviours of the infant (measures of anxiety and social interaction)
so they could measure levels of attachment.
They found the stages of attachment explained above making up the theory.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
There was good external validity as children were in their Lack of validity in measuring the asocial stage. At that age
own environment doing normal activities while being infants aren’t able to express emotions, some emotion
observed, this reduces anxiety and change of may not be visible. Therefore any anxiety or social
characteristics. Behaviour was natural. If in a lab babies behaviour cannot be fairly measured. Babies could’ve
could be more anxious. already been fairly social but unable to show it.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
There is practical application to the research as day cares Mother observing and reporting may bring internal
and outside care is likely to be more straightforward if validity problems due to bias accounts whether they’re
introduced during asocial/indiscriminate stages as the conscious or not. Also some behaviours from the infant
research tells us starting in ‘specfic attachment’ stage is may be misremembered or unrecognised, reliability of
challenging with infamiliar adults – parents can pre-plan the records may be low.
care.
Generalisability – the large scale adds representative features but only (1960) working class
Glasgow families were used creating possible differences in time, culture and lifestyle contexts.
TOPIC: Attachment
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U) KEY WORD GLOSSARY
1. Stages of attachment link quality of behaviours to certain Asocial Stage
ages, an infant goes through them to form their style of Indiscriminate Stage
attachment. Specific Attachment
Multiple Attachments
2. Asocial Stage = First few weeks - when the infant interacts
Primary / Secondary Attachments
with objects and humans similarly but even in this stage, they
showed better comfort with any person (prefer people.)
3. Indiscriminate Stage = 2 – 7 months - the infant finds comfort
with familiar people but usually no signs of stranger anxiety –
comfort from anyone.
4. Specific Attachment = from 7 months – form a primary
attachment showing signs of separation/stranger anxiety
5. Multiple Attachments = they extend behaviours with other
people who they are regularly with (secondary attachments.)
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: Schaffer and Emerson 1964
Studies 60 babies from working class families in Glasgow, visiting them once a month for a year and then at 18 months.
The mothers were asked to observe and report the behaviours of the infant (measures of anxiety and social interaction)
so they could measure levels of attachment.
They found the stages of attachment explained above making up the theory.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
There was good external validity as children were in their Lack of validity in measuring the asocial stage. At that age
own environment doing normal activities while being infants aren’t able to express emotions, some emotion
observed, this reduces anxiety and change of may not be visible. Therefore any anxiety or social
characteristics. Behaviour was natural. If in a lab babies behaviour cannot be fairly measured. Babies could’ve
could be more anxious. already been fairly social but unable to show it.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
There is practical application to the research as day cares Mother observing and reporting may bring internal
and outside care is likely to be more straightforward if validity problems due to bias accounts whether they’re
introduced during asocial/indiscriminate stages as the conscious or not. Also some behaviours from the infant
research tells us starting in ‘specfic attachment’ stage is may be misremembered or unrecognised, reliability of
challenging with infamiliar adults – parents can pre-plan the records may be low.
care.
Generalisability – the large scale adds representative features but only (1960) working class
Glasgow families were used creating possible differences in time, culture and lifestyle contexts.
