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Shaffer and Emerson (1964) - Coggle Diagram
Shaffer and Emerson (1964)
Aim
To find the age at which attachments start and how intense these were.
Method
They studied 60 babies from a working class area of Glasgow, observing them every four weeks for the first year and then again at 18 months.
As well as observations, interviews were conducted with the mothers, including questions about whom the infants smiled at, responded to and who caused them stress.
Strength of attachment was measured by:
Separation anxiety: how distressed the child became when separated from the main caregiver
Stranger anxiety: distress shown when the child was left alone with an unfamiliar person
Findings
The first specific attachment was formed by 50% of infants between 25 and 32 weeks. Intensity peaked in the first month following the onset of the first attachment.
Multiple attachments began soon after the first attachment had been formed.
By 18 months, 31% had 5 or more attachments
Conclusions
Human attachments develop in four stages:
Asocial
Indiscriminate attachment
Specific attachment
Multiple attachments
Evaluation
Because babies were observed in their own homes we can assume that the study is high in ecological validity; the findings can be generalised to the real world.
Data was collected by direct observed by the mother. This could have been prone to bias and inaccuracy.
There were large individual differences when attachment formed. This added uncertainty to the process of attachment formation being exclusively biological.
Stages of attachment
Asocial
0-6 weeks
This is short lived.
Attention seeking behaviour, such as crying and smiling, is not directed at anyone in particular. This suggests attachments could be made with anyone.
Indiscriminate attachment
6 weeks - 7 months
Similar to asocial in that the child seeks attention from anyone and is happy to receive attention from anyone.
Preferences are shown to familiar faces that elicit a greater response from the infant.
Specific attachment
7-11 months
Child is primarily attached to the main caregiver.
If they are separated the child becomes distressed and the child is wary of strangers.
Multiple attachments
After a primary attachment has been made to the caregiver, infants can go on to form many attachments with other people.
The multiple attachments can vary in strength and tend to happen with other family members.
There is not thought to be a limit on how many attachments can be made.