Key Takeaways
- John Bowlby was particularly interested in the mother-child bond and its impact on the child’s psychological development.
- In contrast, Schaffer and Emerson focused more on developing social bonds, noting that children can form multiple attachments of varying strength.
- While both theories examine the attachment process, they were developed independently and reflect different perspectives.
| Stages | John Bowlby | Schaffer and Emerson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-attachment (Birth to 6 Weeks): The infant does not discriminate between caregivers | Asocial Stage (0-2 months): Infant behavior is directed at anyone or anything |
| 2 | Attachment-in-the-Making (6 Weeks to 7 Months): Prefers familiar people but accepts care from anyone | Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months): Prefers people to inanimate objects, but not one person specifically |
| 3 | Clear-Cut Attachment (7 Months to 24 Months): Specific attachment to the primary caregiver(s) develops | Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months): Prefers people to inanimate objects, but not one person specifically |
| 4 | Asocial Stage (0-2 months): Infant behavior is directed at anyone or anything | Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months): Prefers people to inanimate objects, but not one person specifically |
Table of Contents
What are Bowlby’s phases of Attachment?
John Bowlby, a British psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, developed attachment theory, which focuses on the importance of a secure and trusting mother-infant bond on development and wellbeing.
He identified four phases of attachment.
These stages reflect a process where each step builds upon the last, leading to a strong, secure attachment under ideal circumstances.
Bowlby believed that these attachments serve a crucial evolutionary function: they increase the infant’s chance of survival by ensuring its safety and care.
Pre-attachment phase(Birth to 6 Weeks):
In this stage, infants show innate behaviors (like crying and smiling) that help attract caregiver attention and response but do not prefer a specific caregiver.They accept care and comfort from any adult and do not yet understand that they are separate individuals from their caregivers.
Attachment-in-the-Making (6 Weeks to 7 Months):
During this stage, infants develop a sense of trust in the people who respond to their needs.They start to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people, preferring familiar people, but they still accept care from strangers. They don’t yet protest when separated from a parent.
Clear-Cut Attachment (7 Months to 24 Months):
Specific attachment to the primary caregiver(s) develops at this stage.Infants seek regular contact with their caregivers and may show distress upon separation, demonstrating behaviors like “clinging” and “following.”
This stage also includes the development of “stranger anxiety” and “separation anxiety.”
Formation of a Reciprocal Relationship (24 Months and Onwards):
As language develops, toddlers understand their parents’ actions and motivations and can negotiate with them.They can now tolerate separations with less distress and use mental representations of their caregivers for comfort.
Schaffer & Emerson’s Stages of Attachment
Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson (1964) studied 60 babies at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of life (this is known as alongitudinal study).
The children were all studied in their own homes, and a regular pattern was identified in the development of attachment. The babies were visited monthly for approximately one year, their interactions with their carers were observed, and carers were interviewed.
The mother kept a diary to examine the evidence for the development of an attachment. The following measures were recorded:
•Stranger Anxiety– response to the arrival of a stranger.
•Separation Anxiety– distress level when separated from a carer, degree of comfort needed on return.
•Social Referencing– the degree to which a child looks at a carer to check how they should respond to something new (secure base).
They discovered that baby’s attachments develop in the following sequence:
Asocial (0 – 6 weeks):
Very young infants are asocial in that many kinds of stimuli, both social and non-social, produce a favorable reaction, such as a smile.During the asocial stage, the infant’s behavior does not appear specifically directed towards primary caregivers over others. The infant may respond to humans and objects similarly, showing generalized responses like crying, smiling, and looking at faces or objects.
Although termed “asocial,” it doesn’t imply that the baby has no interest in social interaction. Still, rather than undifferentiated interactions, they do not yet show a strong preference for any one person or display an understanding of social behavior. This is the period before specific, strong social bonds are formed.
(Video) A-Level Psychology (AQA): Attachment - Schaffers Stages of AttachmentRemember that despite its name, the asocial stage is important for social development. The interactions during this stage lay the groundwork for later stages of attachment.
Indiscriminate Attachments (6 weeks to 7 months):
During this stage, infants start to display more social behavior and begin to show a preference for social stimuli, preferring human interaction over inanimate objects. They smile, babble, and reach out more to people rather than objects.Infants indiscriminately enjoy human company; most babies respond equally to any caregiver. They get upset when an individual ceases to interact with them.
The infants are sociable and “indiscriminate” in their attachment because they do not show a strong preference for a single caregiver over others. They recognize and respond to more people, but they do not yet differentiate significantly between familiar and unfamiliar adults.
From 3 months, infants smile more at familiar faces and can be easily comfortable by a regular caregiver.
Specific Attachment (7 – 9 months):
Special preference for a single attachment figure. The baby looks to particular people for security, comfort, and protection. It shows fear of strangers (stranger fear) and unhappiness when separated from a special person (separation anxiety).Some babies show stranger fear and separation anxiety much more frequently and intensely than others, but they are evidence that the baby has formed an attachment. This has usually developed by one year of age.
The study’s results indicated that attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby’s signals, not the person they spent more time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this sensitive responsiveness.
Intensely attached infants had mothers who responded quickly to their demands and, interacted with their child. Infants who were weakly attached had mothers who failed to interact.
(Video) Attachment: L2 - Schaffer's Stages of AttachmentThe most important fact in forming attachments is not who feeds and changes the child but who plays and communicates with him or her. Therefore, sensitive responsiveness to the baby’s signals appeared to be the key to the attachment.
Multiple Attachment (10 months and onwards):
The baby becomes increasingly independent and forms several attachments. By 18 months, the majority of infants have formed multiple attachments.The study’s results indicated that attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby’s signals, not the person they spent more time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this sensitive responsiveness.
Intensely attached infants had mothers who responded quickly to their demands and interacted with their children. Infants who were weakly attached had mothers who failed to interact.
Critical Evaluation
The Schaffer and Emerson study has low population validity. The infants in the study all came from Glasgow and were mostly from working-class families. In addition, the small sample size of 60 families reduces the strength of the conclusion we can draw from the study.
However, the accuracy of data collection by parents who were keeping daily diaries while clearly being very busy could be questioned. A diary like this is also very unreliable, with demand characteristics and social desirability being major issues. Mothers are not likely to report negative experiences in their daily write up.
The study lacks historical validity. It was conducted in the 1960s when gender roles were different – Now, more men stay at home to look after their children, and more women go out to work, so the sample is biased.
References
Bowlby, J. (1969).Attachment. Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss. Volume II. Separation, anxiety and anger. InAttachment and loss. volume II. Separation, anxiety and anger(pp. 429-p).
Bowlby, J. (1980).Loss: Sadness & depression. Attachment and loss(vol. 3); (International psycho-analytical library no.109). London: Hogarth Press.
Schaffer, H. R., & Emerson, P. E. (1964). The development of social attachments in infancy.Monographs of the society for research in child development, 1-77.
FAQs
What are the 4 stages of attachment Schaffer and Emerson? ›
For example, Schaffer and Emerson suggested that attachments develop in four stages: asocial stage or pre-attachment (first few weeks), indiscriminate attachment (approximately 6 weeks to 7 months), specific attachment or discriminate attachment (approximately 7-9 months) and multiple attachment (approximately 10 ...
What is the sequence of attachment Schaffer and Emerson 1964? ›Parent-infant attachment: Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that infants tend to become attached to the mother first, then form attachments with other figures (such as the father) later on- usually by the age of 18 months.
What are the 4 stages of attachment theory? ›Examples: The Types, Styles, and Stages (Secure, Avoidant, Ambivalent, and Disorganized)
What is Emerson theory of attachment? ›Schaffer and Emerson (1964) defined attachment as, “The tendency of the young to seek the proximity of other members of the species” (p. 6). In their view, infants and young children seek out and find comfort in being physically close to people with whom they have formed attachments.
What are the 4 dimensions of attachment? ›Through these instruments, four different attachment styles – disorganized, secure, avoidant, and ambivalent – can be measured.
What are the 4 childhood attachment styles attachment theory? ›Of the four patterns of attachment (secure, avoidant, resistant and disorganized), disorganized attachment in infancy and early childhood is recognized as a powerful predictor for serious psychopathology and maladjustment in children (2,18–24).
What are the 4 types of attachment quizlet? ›- Secure Attachment.
- Insecure/resistant (or ambivalent) attachment.
- Insecure/avoidant attachment.
- Disorganized/disoriented attachment.
Bowlby specified four phases of child-caregiver attachment development: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6 months to 3 years, and 3 years through the end of childhood. Expanding on Bowlby's ideas, Mary Ainsworth pointed to three attachment patterns: secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and resistant attachment.
Who discovered the 4 attachment styles? ›Attachment theory is the joint work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991 ). Drawing on concepts from ethology, cybernetics, information processing, developmental psychology, and psychoanalysts, John Bowlby formulated the basic tenets of the theory.
What is the first stage of attachment? ›The first phase is called the pre-attachment phase. In this phase, newborns call caregivers to their side. They will cry or smile, which helps keep people close by. Infants may recognize their caregivers, but they do not show a preference for them over strangers.
What did Schaffer and Emerson evaluate for attachment theory? ›
Schaffer and Emerson found that infants were not predominantly attached to the person that fed them but to the person who responded most sensitively to their needs. This suggests that Harlow's study on rhesus monkey is not valid in determining attachment as the cognitive level of humans greatly exceed that of animals.
What did Schaffer and Emerson criticize about attachment theory? ›Schaffer and Emerson's research showed that babies did not necessarily become attached to whoever fed them the most, rather, who spent time sensitively responding to them. This weakens the assumption of learning theory.
What is the aim of Schaffer and Emerson? ›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. Children were all studied in their own homes and visited monthly for approximately one year.
What are the 4 attachment issues? ›- secure attachment.
- anxious-insecure attachment.
- avoidant-insecure attachment.
- disorganized-insecure attachment.
The five levels addressed are: Authentic Self, Preference, Identity, Internalization, and Fanatacism. Ruiz Jr. very simply lays out how our personal belief systems are conditioned from a very early age. We naturally develop preferences and make judgments as well.
What are the 5 pillars of attachment? ›The five pillars of attachment are: a sense of felt safety, a sense of being seen and known (attunement), the experience of felt comfort (soothing), a sense of being valued (expressed delight), and a sense of support for being and becoming one's unique best self.
What is the best attachment style? ›Secure. Secure attachment is known as the healthiest of all attachment styles.
What is the fourth attachment style? ›Researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth attachment style known as disorganized-insecure attachment.3 Numerous studies have supported Ainsworth's conclusions and additional research has revealed that these early attachment styles can help predict behaviors later in life.
Are there more than 4 attachment styles? ›Early attachment theory researchers identified and named three attachment styles: ambivalent, avoidant, and secure. A fourth style, disorganized attachment, was added later. The researchers developed these by studying how young children interacted with their parents.
What are the stages of attachment in children? ›proximity maintenance – wanting to be near their primary caregiver. safe haven - returning to their primary caregiver for comfort and safety if they feel afraid or threatened. secure base – treating their primary caregiver as a base of security from which they can explore the surrounding environment.
What is the second stage of attachment? ›
2) The Indiscriminate Stage – from six weeks to six months. Babies can tell people apart, so start to develop a stronger attachment with familiar adults. Babies don't yet show an aversion to strangers.
What is the most basic concept of attachment theory? ›Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. The most important tenet is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development.
What are the main points of attachment theory? ›The central theme of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are available and responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. The infant learns that the caregiver is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world.
What are the key concepts of attachment theory? ›A key concept of Attachment Theory is that early experiences with caretakers determine the development of 'working models' which act as a template for future relationships and help to regulate distress in the face of actual or perceived threats to interpersonal bonds throughout life.
What is the third phase of attachment? ›At approximately 6 to 7 months of age babies reach stage 3, in which a strong attachment to a specific caregiver is fully formed. Babies can crawl and soon walk, enabling them to seek out and maintain contact with their attachment figures when upset or in need of protection or comfort.
What are the two major criticisms of attachment theory? ›Critics contend that assuming an infant must form a single bond is damaging to the relationship between infants and other potential caregivers in their life. Others take issue with the idea that unless the attachment is formed by age two, a person is doomed to have an insecure attachment style forever.
How does Schaffer and Emerson's model relate to Bowlby's model? ›Overall, Shaffer and Emerson's studied was evidence against Bowlby's theory and proved that a baby has multiple attachments and is more likely to become attached to the people who show them the correct affection rather than who they spent the most time with.
How do Emerson and Schaffer's 1964 conclusions undermine Bowlby's monotropy theory? ›Evidence to contradict: Evidence from Schaffer and Emerson (1964) which found that by 18 months old only 13% of the babies were attached to one person and many of the infants had as many as five attachment figures contradicts the idea of monotropy.
What does the Schaffer and Emerson study tell us about multiple attachments? ›Results revealed that attachments were most likely to form with carers who were sensitive to the baby's signals, rather than the person they spent the most time with. By 10 months old, most of the babies had several attachments, including attachments to mothers, fathers, siblings and extended family.
What is the controversy of attachment theory? ›A serious limitation of attachment theory is its failure to recognize the profound influences of social class, gender, ethnicity, and culture on personality development. These factors, independent of a mother's sensitivity, can be as significant as the quality of the early attachment.
What did Schaffer and Emerson assess in the infants? ›
Schaffer's stages of attachment:
-Schaffer and Emerson aimed to investigate how early attachments form( at what age they developed,emotional intensity,and with whom).
Conclusions: The conclusion of the study was that attachment develops in stages. These findings led Schaffer and Emerson to develop the Stages of Attachment. ·Baby is recognising and forming bonds with its carers·Baby's behaviour towards humans and non-human objects is similar.
What are the phases of attachment describe? ›Bowlby specified four phases of child-caregiver attachment development: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6 months to 3 years, and 3 years through the end of childhood. Expanding on Bowlby's ideas, Mary Ainsworth pointed to three attachment patterns: secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and resistant attachment.
What is a strength of Schaffer's stages of attachment? ›Strengths: Research to support and useful application: A strength of Schaffer's stages is that they are based on research evidence. Schaffer's longitudinal observation of Glasgow babies clearly show the stages that babies go through when attaching.
What did Schaffer and Emerson assess? ›Schaffer & Emerson (1964) conducted an experiment to investigate the age at which specific attachments developed, specifically the age at which they form, the emotional intensity and the person they were directed towards.
What is Phase 1 of attachment theory? ›The first phase is called the pre-attachment phase. In this phase, newborns call caregivers to their side. They will cry or smile, which helps keep people close by. Infants may recognize their caregivers, but they do not show a preference for them over strangers.
Are attachment styles 3 or 4? ›Attachment theory is nuanced, like humans are. Although it is a spectrum of four styles, common parlance refers to only three: anxious, avoidant and secure. Studies show that people who are securely attached have the healthiest relationships, and it's the type that everyone should strive for.