| What age is stage 1? | 0-2 months |
| What is the first stage called? | Asocial |
| What happens in stage 1? | Infant shows similiar responses to objects and people.
Although towards the end of the stage, they do display a preference for faces/eyes |
| What age is stage 2? | 2-6 months |
| What is stage 2 called? | Indiscriminate attachment |
| What happens in stage 2? | Infant shows a preference for human company over non-human company.
Can distinguish between different people, but are comformed indiscriminately (by anyone)
Do not show stranger anxiety |
| What age is stage 3? | 7-12 months |
| What is stage 3 called? | Discriminate (specific) attachments |
| What happens in stage 3? | Infant shows a preference for 1 caregivier
Show seperation and stranger anxiety.
Infant looks to the person for security and protection
Infant shows joy upon reunion and comforted by primary caregiver |
| What is age is stage 4? | 12+ months |
| What is stage 4 called? | Multiple attachments |
| What happens in stage 4? | Attachment behaviours now displayed towards several different people, like siblings and grandparents - sometimes referred as secondary attachment
Typically form in the first month after primary attachmend, number of multiple attachments that developes depends on the social circle the infant is exposed to. |
| A strength? | -high external validity
-conducted observations with children in their own home, more likley to act naturally
-most of the observations were made by parents during ordinary activities and reported to observers - fewer distraction for the baby and less anxiety of the parents about being watched
-therefore, good ecological validdity, results are likely to represent normal attachment behaviours in their everyday lives |
| A strength? | -practical application to the real world
-Eg: understanding attchmnet behaviour can be useful in daycare whereby chilcren are cared for outside the home by a non-family adult
-during ascoical and indiscriminate stages, daycare is likely to be easy, comfored by any adult. But research shows that starting daycare with an unfamiliar adult during the descriminate stage can be problematic
-Therefore, the timing of putting children into daycare needs to be carefully plannaed to reduce distress, helpful info from Shaffer and Emerson |
| A weakness? | -Lacks population validity
-Consisted of only 60 working class mothers and babies from Glasgow - could form different attachments compared to wealthier families or in other countries
-Sample was from the 1960s, parental care has changed significantly since then, more women going to work and children being cared outside of the home or fathers staying at home to caregive
-Unable to generalise the results to parents and babies from other countries, backgrouds and historical contexts, sample was so unique so it is no comparable |
| A weakness? | -possibility of social desirablity bias having an inmpace
-Mothers were asksed to be observers and they are unlikely to be completely objective in their measures or might not have noticed the naunce of their infants behaviour
-They interviewed mothers about thier children and some of them by not have reported accurate details to appear like 'better' mothers with secure attachment
-Cause a bais in the data, reduce internal validity, even if the babies were behaving naturally at home, their behaviour might not have been accuratley remembered, interpreted or recorded by their mothers. |
