Stages of Attachment

Asocial Stage

first stage

birth to 2 months

behaviors towards humans and inanimate objects are similar

Indiscriminate Attachment

second stage of attachment,

2-7 months

where infants show preference for being with humans

Specific Attachment

third stage of attachment

from seven months

where infants form a specific emotional bond with a primary caregiver.

Multiple Attachments

fourth stage of attachment

from one year onwards

infants develop attachments to multiple caregivers

Separation Anxiety

Distress shown by infants when they are separated from their primary caregiver.

Stranger Anxiety

Distress shown by infants when approached, picked up, or left with a stranger

Schaffer & Emerson's Study

A 1964 observational study that identified four stages of attachment in infants.

Reciprocity

A process in interactions between an infant and a caregiver where each party responds to the other

Interactional Synchrony

The mutual coordination of turn-taking in interactions between infants and their caregivers.

Primary Attachment Figure

The caregiver to whom an infant forms the strongest bond, often the mother.

Secondary Attachments

Attachments that infants develop after the primary attachment, often with other family members.

Strength - External Validity

The findings of Schaffer & Emerson's study have high external validity as they were based on observations in natural home settings.

Limitations: Biased Sample

Schaffer & Emerson's study had a biased sample since it only involved working-class families from Glasgow.

Role of the Father

The important but often less emphasized role that fathers play in the attachment development of infants.