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Understanding Schaffer's Stages of Attachment in Child Development

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Erica

14/02/2023

Psychology

Schaffer's stages of attachment

Understanding Schaffer's Stages of Attachment in Child Development

Schaffer's stages of attachment child development research provides crucial insights into how infants form emotional bonds. This comprehensive study by Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson tracked 60 Glasgow babies over 18 months, identifying four distinct stages of attachment development and revealing that attachment quality depends more on responsive caregiving than time spent together.

• The research established four key stages: asocial, indiscriminate attachment, specific attachment, and multiple attachments
• Findings showed that by 40 weeks, 80% of infants had formed specific attachments
• The study's longitudinal design provided robust data despite some methodological limitations
• Results challenged previous assumptions about attachment formation being solely based on time spent together

...

14/02/2023

751


<h2 id="keystudyschafferandemerson">Key Study: Schaffer and Emerson</h2>
<h3 id="investigationofattachmentdevelopment">Investigation of Att

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Stages of Attachment Development

The research identified four distinct stages in attachment development, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding infant-caregiver relationships.

Definition: The asocial stage of attachment occurs in the first few weeks when babies show basic preferences for familiar adults.

Definition: The indiscriminate stage of attachment 27months2-7 months involves babies showing preference for human interaction over objects.

Highlight: During the specific attachment stage 7months7 months, infants display clear stranger anxiety and separation distress.

Quote: "Just because a baby gets distressed when a person leaves the room does not mean they are the primary attachment figure."

The study faced several limitations, including difficulties in observing the asocial stage due to limited infant mobility and challenges in measuring multiple attachments accurately. Critics note that the behavioral measures used may have been too simplistic to fully capture the complexity of attachment relationships.

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Psychology

751

7 Jul 2025

2 pages

Understanding Schaffer's Stages of Attachment in Child Development

Schaffer's stages of attachment child development research provides crucial insights into how infants form emotional bonds. This comprehensive study by Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emersontracked 60 Glasgow babies over 18 months, identifying four distinct stages of attachment development and... Show more


<h2 id="keystudyschafferandemerson">Key Study: Schaffer and Emerson</h2>
<h3 id="investigationofattachmentdevelopment">Investigation of Att

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Stages of Attachment Development

The research identified four distinct stages in attachment development, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding infant-caregiver relationships.

Definition: The asocial stage of attachment occurs in the first few weeks when babies show basic preferences for familiar adults.

Definition: The indiscriminate stage of attachment 27months2-7 months involves babies showing preference for human interaction over objects.

Highlight: During the specific attachment stage 7months7 months, infants display clear stranger anxiety and separation distress.

Quote: "Just because a baby gets distressed when a person leaves the room does not mean they are the primary attachment figure."

The study faced several limitations, including difficulties in observing the asocial stage due to limited infant mobility and challenges in measuring multiple attachments accurately. Critics note that the behavioral measures used may have been too simplistic to fully capture the complexity of attachment relationships.


<h2 id="keystudyschafferandemerson">Key Study: Schaffer and Emerson</h2>
<h3 id="investigationofattachmentdevelopment">Investigation of Att

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Understanding Schaffer and Emerson's Attachment Study

The groundbreaking Psychology attachment study conducted by Schaffer and Emerson involved observing 60 babies and their mothers through regular home visits. Their methodology focused on measuring separation anxiety and stranger reactions, providing valuable insights into early attachment formation.

Definition: Attachment refers to the emotional bond formed between an infant and their caregiverss.

Highlight: By 25-32 weeks, half of the observed infants showed separation anxiety towards specific caregivers.

Example: The study found that babies formed strongest attachments to caregivers who responded most sensitively to their needs, regardless of time spent together.

Vocabulary: External validity refers to how well research findings can be applied to real-world situations.

The study's strengths included its naturalistic setting and longitudinal design, though it was limited by its homogeneous sample from Glasgow.

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