Attachment revision notes CP = counter point
Caregiver-infant interactions
Description:
1. Quality of interactions with caregivers affects development of attachments. Two
kinds of interaction: reciprocity (taking turns to respond) and interactional synchrony
(simultaneous imitation).
2. Reciprocity = responding to elicit responses from each other e.g. responding to a
baby’s smile by saying something, and baby responds by making sounds of pleasure.
Mothers successfully respond around 2/3 of the time. After three months interaction
becomes more intense and reciprocal.
3. Traditionally babies thought to have a passive role receiving care from the adult.
Now, babies seen as active participants. Both people can initiate interactions and
take turns to do so.
4. Interactional synchrony (IS). Same actions carried out simultaneously, e.g. caregiver
and baby mirror each other’s behaviour.
5. Beginning of IS, Meltzoff and Moore observed IS in two weeks old + babies. Adults
did one of three facial expressions or one of three gestures. Babies response filmed.
Babies’ expressions and gestures more likely to mirror adults.
6. Importance for attachment. Isabella observed 30 mothers and babies together and
assessed degree of synchrony. Also assessed quality of attachment. Findings = High
levels of synchrony associated with high quality attachment (e.g. emotional intensity
of relationship).
Evaluation:
1. + Filmed observations used for these studies usually from multiple angles. Fine
details can be recorded and analysed later. Babies don’t know they are being
observed, behaviour does not change. Good reliability and validity.
2. – Difficulty in observing babies. Babies not very coordinated, just observing small
gestures and changes in expression. Cannot be certain interactions are meaningful.
3. – Difficulty inferring development importance. Feldman points out synchrony and
reciprocity describe behaviours that occur at the same time. Robust phenomena –
can be reliably observed but may not be useful and doesn’t tell us their purpose,
may not be important in development.
4. CP: Isabella suggests good levels of reciprocity and synchrony are associated with
good quality attachments. Early interactions likely to have importance for
development.
Schaffer’s stages of attachment
Description:
, 1. 1 – Asocial stage (first few weeks) babies behaviour similar towards people and
inanimate objects. Some preferences for familiar people (more easily calmed by
them). Happier in the presence of other people.
2. 2 – Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months) babies display more observable social
behaviour, with a preference for people over inanimate objects. Recognises and
prefer familiar people. Don’t show separation or stranger anxiety. Attachment
indiscriminate = same towards all.
3. 3 – Specific attachment (from around 7 months) shows stranger or separation
anxiety when separated from one particular person. Baby has a primary attachment
figure, in most cases with the person who offers the most interaction and responds
to the baby’s ‘signals’ with the most skill (65% of cases = mother).
4. 4 – Multiple attachments (by one year). Secondary attachments form shortly after.
Schaffer and Emerson’s study – 29% of babies had multiple secondary within a
month after primary. By one year majority of infants had multiple secondary
attachments.
5. Schaffer and Emerson’s procedure – 60 babies from Glasgow, most from working
class families. Researchers visited homes every month for a year and again at 18
months. Separation and stranger anxiety measured by asking mothers questions and
children’s behaviour during certain situations.
6. Found that babies developed attachments through a sequence of stages and their
specific attachment tended to be to the person who was most interactive and
sensitive to babies’ signals and facial expressions (i.e. reciprocity), not necessarily the
person the baby spent the most time with.
Evaluation:
1. + Schaffer and Emerson’s study has external validity. Most observations made by
parents, researchers in homes would have been distracting. Highly likely participants
behaved naturally while being observed.
2. CP: Mothers may have been biased and they might not have noticed when their
baby was showing signs of anxiety or may have misremembered it. Even if babies
behaved naturally, their behaviour may not have been accurately recorded.
3. – Poor evidence for asocial stage. Young babies have poor co-ordination and are
fairly immobile at this stage. Difficult for mothers to accurately report signs of
anxiety and attachment for this age group. Babies may be quite social but flawed
methods show them as asocial.
4. + Real-world application to day care. In early stages babies can be comforted by any
skilled adult. Later on during specific attachment stage, care from unfamiliar adults
can be distressing and cause longer-term problems. The stages can help parents
make day care decisions.
Role of the father
Description
1. Primary attachment usually with mothers (attachment formed at around 7 months).
3% of cases father was primary attachment figure, 27% both.
Caregiver-infant interactions
Description:
1. Quality of interactions with caregivers affects development of attachments. Two
kinds of interaction: reciprocity (taking turns to respond) and interactional synchrony
(simultaneous imitation).
2. Reciprocity = responding to elicit responses from each other e.g. responding to a
baby’s smile by saying something, and baby responds by making sounds of pleasure.
Mothers successfully respond around 2/3 of the time. After three months interaction
becomes more intense and reciprocal.
3. Traditionally babies thought to have a passive role receiving care from the adult.
Now, babies seen as active participants. Both people can initiate interactions and
take turns to do so.
4. Interactional synchrony (IS). Same actions carried out simultaneously, e.g. caregiver
and baby mirror each other’s behaviour.
5. Beginning of IS, Meltzoff and Moore observed IS in two weeks old + babies. Adults
did one of three facial expressions or one of three gestures. Babies response filmed.
Babies’ expressions and gestures more likely to mirror adults.
6. Importance for attachment. Isabella observed 30 mothers and babies together and
assessed degree of synchrony. Also assessed quality of attachment. Findings = High
levels of synchrony associated with high quality attachment (e.g. emotional intensity
of relationship).
Evaluation:
1. + Filmed observations used for these studies usually from multiple angles. Fine
details can be recorded and analysed later. Babies don’t know they are being
observed, behaviour does not change. Good reliability and validity.
2. – Difficulty in observing babies. Babies not very coordinated, just observing small
gestures and changes in expression. Cannot be certain interactions are meaningful.
3. – Difficulty inferring development importance. Feldman points out synchrony and
reciprocity describe behaviours that occur at the same time. Robust phenomena –
can be reliably observed but may not be useful and doesn’t tell us their purpose,
may not be important in development.
4. CP: Isabella suggests good levels of reciprocity and synchrony are associated with
good quality attachments. Early interactions likely to have importance for
development.
Schaffer’s stages of attachment
Description:
, 1. 1 – Asocial stage (first few weeks) babies behaviour similar towards people and
inanimate objects. Some preferences for familiar people (more easily calmed by
them). Happier in the presence of other people.
2. 2 – Indiscriminate attachment (2-7 months) babies display more observable social
behaviour, with a preference for people over inanimate objects. Recognises and
prefer familiar people. Don’t show separation or stranger anxiety. Attachment
indiscriminate = same towards all.
3. 3 – Specific attachment (from around 7 months) shows stranger or separation
anxiety when separated from one particular person. Baby has a primary attachment
figure, in most cases with the person who offers the most interaction and responds
to the baby’s ‘signals’ with the most skill (65% of cases = mother).
4. 4 – Multiple attachments (by one year). Secondary attachments form shortly after.
Schaffer and Emerson’s study – 29% of babies had multiple secondary within a
month after primary. By one year majority of infants had multiple secondary
attachments.
5. Schaffer and Emerson’s procedure – 60 babies from Glasgow, most from working
class families. Researchers visited homes every month for a year and again at 18
months. Separation and stranger anxiety measured by asking mothers questions and
children’s behaviour during certain situations.
6. Found that babies developed attachments through a sequence of stages and their
specific attachment tended to be to the person who was most interactive and
sensitive to babies’ signals and facial expressions (i.e. reciprocity), not necessarily the
person the baby spent the most time with.
Evaluation:
1. + Schaffer and Emerson’s study has external validity. Most observations made by
parents, researchers in homes would have been distracting. Highly likely participants
behaved naturally while being observed.
2. CP: Mothers may have been biased and they might not have noticed when their
baby was showing signs of anxiety or may have misremembered it. Even if babies
behaved naturally, their behaviour may not have been accurately recorded.
3. – Poor evidence for asocial stage. Young babies have poor co-ordination and are
fairly immobile at this stage. Difficult for mothers to accurately report signs of
anxiety and attachment for this age group. Babies may be quite social but flawed
methods show them as asocial.
4. + Real-world application to day care. In early stages babies can be comforted by any
skilled adult. Later on during specific attachment stage, care from unfamiliar adults
can be distressing and cause longer-term problems. The stages can help parents
make day care decisions.
Role of the father
Description
1. Primary attachment usually with mothers (attachment formed at around 7 months).
3% of cases father was primary attachment figure, 27% both.
