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Many people believe that the first five years of life are the most critical for a child's development.
Attachments, without a doubt, play a part. But when do we develop these attachments?
The stages of attachment in infants are the developmental stages in which infants form attachments to their primary caregiver and others in their environment. Schaffer and Emerson (1964) developed the stages of attachment after observing infants in a longitudinal study.
Attachment is an emotional bond or tie that exists with another person, providing security and closeness. In the caregiver-infant relationship, attachment is a mutual emotional bond strengthened through reciprocal interactions.
Below, we will take a closer look at the stages of attachment.
Schaffer and Emerson noted the four stages of attachment in their 1964 study. You will find the details of the study below.
Schaffer and Emerson wanted to determine at what age infants begin to form attachments. They also wanted to find out to whom these attachments infants form and how strong they are.
The researchers took a sample of 60 infants from a working-class neighbourhood in the Scottish city of Glasgow. As part of a longitudinal study, the researchers observed the babies at the following intervals:
Every four weeks during the baby's first year of life.
Once at 18 months of age.
The researchers observed the babies in their homes.
The researchers measured attachment by observing the baby's behaviour in the following scenarios:
Separation anxiety
The researchers separated the baby from the primary caregiver. A distressed response from the baby indicates that attachment exists.
Stranger anxiety
The researchers left the baby with an unfamiliar person. A distressed reaction from the baby indicates that they recognise familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation procedure also used the stranger anxiety scenario. This procedure tested the attachment style of young children.
Schaffer and Emerson found that babies develop a primary attachment to their mothers at 6-7 months. A secondary attachment to the father and other family members developed at about ten months.
By 18 months, 31% of babies had formed attachments to siblings, grandparents, neighbours, or other relatives. From these observations, Schaffer and Emerson concluded that infants go through the following stages of attachment.
Age: 0-6 weeks.
Infants’ behaviours, such as crying or smiling, are simply for attention and are not directed toward a specific person.
Infants do not discriminate between people but may prefer people over other species.
Age: 6 weeks – 6 months.
Babies are usually happy to receive attention from anyone and do not yet resist strangers or unfamiliar people.
However, they respond more strongly to people familiar with the baby.
Age: 7-9 months
Infants begin to experience and show separation anxiety from their primary caregiver.
A fear of strangers develops at this age.
Age: 10 months +.
Infants become interested in and attached to other people, such as grandparents, siblings, or familiar adults.
Schaffer and Emerson concluded that infants go through each of the above attachment stages and that infants’ mothers are still the most crucial attachment figures at 18 months of age. Infants had a ‘hierarchy’ of other attachments based on how important each attachment was to the infant. The sensitive responsiveness of the adult determined the importance.
Sensitive responsiveness means responding to the infant’s signals, i.e., communicating with the infant, playing with the infant, and responding to the infant’s needs, such as crying for attention or asking for something (e.g., a toy or a favourite TV programme).
The researchers concluded that sensitive responsiveness is more critical in infants than who spends more time with the infant.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) four stages of attachment are:
Schaffer and Emerson concluded that infants go through each of the above attachment stages and that infants’ mothers are still the most crucial attachment figures at 18 months of age. Infants had a ‘hierarchy’ of other attachments based on how important each attachment was to the infant. The sensitive responsiveness of the adult determined the importance. The also researchers concluded that sensitive responsiveness is more critical in infants than who spends more time with the infant.
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