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A-Level · Psychology

PSY.ATT3 Stages of Attachment and the Role of the Father

AQA 7182 · Calculators not allowed · about 80 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Outline the asocial stage of attachment as described by Schaffer and Emerson (1964). Name the stage and state two characteristic features.

Outline the asocial stage of attachment in Schaffer and Emerson's model, giving two characteristic features.

(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

Outline the indiscriminate attachment stage in Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) sequence. Give two features of infant behaviour in this stage.

Outline the indiscriminate attachment stage and give two behavioural features.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Outline the specific (discriminate) attachment stage in Schaffer and Emerson's model. State the typical age when it develops and give two signs that an infant has formed a specific attachment.

Outline the specific attachment stage, its typical onset age and two signs of specific attachment.

(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)

Outline the stage where infants form multiple attachments according to Schaffer and Emerson (1964). Give two examples of multiple attachment figures and one implication of this stage for family relationships.

Outline the multiple attachment stage, examples of secondary attachment figures and one implication for family relationships.

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Summarise briefly three key empirical findings about the role of the father in attachment research mentioned on the AQA specification: (a) whether fathers are usually the primary attachment figure, (b) the link between a father's play and later attachment outcomes, and (c) whether fathers can adopt primary-caregiver behaviour.

Summarise three findings about fathers: primary attachment frequency, play quality link, and ability to act as primary caregiver.

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Outline Field's finding about fathers who act as the primary caregiver. Give two implications of this finding for our understanding of parental roles in attachment formation.

Outline Field's finding on fathers as primary caregivers and two implications for parental role understanding.

(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)

Describe Grossmann's longitudinal finding about fathers and explain one way this finding contributes to the idea that fathers influence attachment quality.

Describe Grossmann's finding linking fathers' behaviour to later attachment, and explain one contribution to understanding fathers' influence.

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Read the vignette and identify which stage of Schaffer and Emerson's attachment sequence it illustrates. Vignette: When 8-month-old Noah is left briefly with a familiar childminder he cries and reaches for his mother when she leaves the room, and shows wariness when a stranger approaches. Which stage does Noah show, and briefly justify your choice with two behavioural signs taken from the vignette.

Identify the attachment stage illustrated by the 8-month-old in the vignette and justify with two behavioural signs.

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

Explain one limitation of Schaffer and Emerson's (1964) sample for generalising their stages of attachment to present-day UK families.

Explain why Schaffer and Emerson's sample limits generalisability to current family structures.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Explain one problem with using mothers' reports, often collected retrospectively, in Schaffer and Emerson's study, and suggest one way this source of bias could be reduced in future attachment studies.

Explain a bias from retrospective maternal reports and suggest a way to reduce it in future studies.

(Total for Question 10 is 4 marks)

Research on fathers gives inconsistent findings about whether they are primary attachment figures and about how they influence attachment. Give two reasons why research might produce inconsistent results, and for each reason explain how it could lead to different findings across studies.

Give two reasons for inconsistencies in father-research and explain how each causes variation in findings.

(Total for Question 11 is 4 marks)

Discuss the stages of attachment and the role of the father. In your answer, describe the stages of attachment proposed by Schaffer and Emerson and discuss evidence and evaluation about the role of the father in attachment formation. You should make balanced judgements and use evidence where appropriate.

Discuss the stages of attachment and the role of the father, making balanced judgements and using evidence.

(Total for Question 12 is 16 marks)

Mark scheme · PSY.ATT3 Stages of Attachment and the Role of the Father

Question 1

B1 names the stage as the asocial stage or describes it as the first stage of attachment (around birth to a few weeks) oe
B1 gives one characteristic such as: infant shows similar responses to social and non-social stimuli, forms few clear social attachments yet may show a preference for faces or familiar stimuli oe
Answer: The asocial stage, the first phase after birth, where the infant shows similar responses to people and objects and has not formed clear social attachments, though they may prefer faces or familiar stimuli.

Question 2

B1 names the stage as indiscriminate attachment or describes it as occurring at about 2 to 7 months oe
B1 gives one feature such as: infant accepts comfort from any adult, shows little separation anxiety and little stranger anxiety, but shows preference for human company over inanimate objects oe
Answer: The indiscriminate attachment stage (around 2 to 7 months) when infants prefer people to objects, accept comfort from any adult, and show little separation or stranger anxiety.

Question 3

M1 names the stage as specific or discriminate attachment and gives the typical age as around 7 to 9 months when it develops oe
A1 gives a sign such as showing separation anxiety when separated from a particular caregiver oe
A1 gives a second sign such as showing strong stranger anxiety or seeking proximity and comfort specifically from one primary attachment figure oe
Answer: Specific or discriminate attachment develops around 7 to 9 months; signs include separation anxiety from a primary caregiver and strong stranger anxiety, plus seeking proximity and comfort from that one person.

Question 4

M1 identifies the stage as multiple attachments or the formation of attachments to several people, typically after the specific attachment has formed, around 10 months onwards oe
A1 gives an example of secondary attachment figures such as father, grandparents, older siblings, regular carers oe
A1 gives an implication such as: infants can form stable emotional bonds with several caregivers so parenting responsibilities can be shared and social support networks matter for development oe
Answer: The multiple attachment stage (around 10 months onwards) is when infants form attachments to several people such as the father, grandparents or regular childminders. This implies caregiving can be shared and the wider family network can support the child's emotional development.

Question 5

B1 states that research finds fathers are rarely the infant's primary attachment figure in many samples, with mothers most often being the primary caregiver oe
B1 states Grossmann's longitudinal finding that the quality of a father's play is related to later adolescent attachment quality or outcomes oe
B1 states Field's finding that fathers can adopt the more expressive, caregiving style typical of mothers when they take on the role of primary caregiver, forming secure attachments oe
Answer: Research shows fathers are rarely the primary attachment figure in many samples, Grossmann found that the quality of a father's play relates to later adolescent attachment, and Field found that fathers can adopt an expressive caregiving style and act as effective primary caregivers.

Question 6

M1 states Field's finding that fathers can adopt the more expressive, affectionate caregiving behaviours typical of mothers when they act as the primary caregiver oe
A1 explains implication 1: caregiving style, not biological sex, may determine the formation of secure attachment, suggesting flexibility in parental roles oe
A1 explains implication 2: policy and practice could support fathers as primary carers, e.g. parental leave and encouragement of active caregiving, because fathers can form secure attachments if they provide sensitive care oe
A1 explains that this challenges a purely biological explanation that mothers alone are suited to be primary attachment figures, emphasising role of behaviour and experience oe
Answer: Field found that fathers acting as primary caregivers adopt more expressive caregiving and can form secure attachments. Implications are that caregiving behaviour, not biological sex, is crucial, that policy should support fathers as carers, and that biological-only accounts are challenged by fathers behaving sensitively.

Question 7

B1 describes Grossmann's longitudinal finding that the quality of a father's play with the child was related to the child's later attachment outcomes in adolescence oe
B1 identifies that this suggests fathers contribute to attachment development through play interactions rather than primarily through caregiving routines oe
B1 explains that this supports the view that fathers have a distinct role, influencing social and exploratory aspects of development which contribute to attachment quality oe
Answer: Grossmann found that the quality of a father's play was related to later adolescent attachment outcomes, suggesting fathers influence attachment through play interactions and contribute to social and exploratory aspects that shape attachment quality.

Question 8

B1 identifies the stage as the specific (discriminate) attachment stage cao
B1 justifies with separation anxiety on being left with the childminder oe
B1 justifies with stranger anxiety or wariness when a stranger approaches oe
B1 justifies using age as supporting evidence, since around 7 to 9 months is typical for specific attachment to develop oe
Answer: Specific (discriminate) attachment: Noah shows separation anxiety when his mother leaves and stranger anxiety when a stranger approaches, consistent with the typical 7 to 9 month onset.

Question 9

M1 identifies the sample limitation: study used a relatively small, working-class sample from Glasgow in the 1960s oe
A1 explains why this is unrepresentative of present-day diversity in family structures, cultures and socioeconomic situations oe
A1 explains the consequence: stages and timing of attachment formation may differ in families with different childcare patterns, maternal employment, or fathers as primary carers, so the model may not generalise well to current UK families oe
A1 gives a brief real-world implication such as caution when applying the stages to policy or practice across diverse contemporary populations oe
Answer: Schaffer and Emerson used a small, working-class Glasgow sample from the 1960s, which may not represent modern UK families with varied cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds and childcare arrangements. As a result, the stages and timing they described may not generalise to families where fathers are more involved, where formal childcare is used, or where cultural norms differ, so caution is needed when applying the model today.

Question 10

M1 identifies a problem such as recall bias or social desirability in mothers' retrospective reports oe
A1 explains how this affects validity, e.g. inaccurate recall of the timing of behaviours or embellishing attachment behaviours, leading to biased measures of stage onset oe
M1 suggests a method to reduce bias, e.g. prospective longitudinal observation, using multiple informants or video recordings to collect behavioural data contemporaneously oe
A1 explains why this reduces bias, e.g. contemporaneous observation avoids memory errors and cross-checking multiple sources increases reliability of attachment measures oe
Answer: Mothers' retrospective reports can suffer from recall bias and social desirability, producing inaccurate timing or exaggerated accounts of attachment behaviours. Using prospective longitudinal observation, video recordings, or multiple informants would reduce these biases by collecting data contemporaneously and enabling cross-checks for greater reliability.

Question 11

M1 reason 1: methodological differences between studies, e.g. different measures of attachment, use of self-report versus observation, cross-sectional versus longitudinal designs oe
A1 explains effect: different methods capture different aspects of father involvement or vary in reliability, producing divergent findings about fathers as primary or secondary attachment figures oe
M1 reason 2: variation in family roles and cultural practices, e.g. some samples include many stay-at-home fathers or cultures where fathers are primary carers while others do not oe
A1 explains effect: genuine population differences mean fathers will appear more central to attachment in some samples than others, creating inconsistent results across studies oe
Answer: Inconsistencies arise because studies use different methods that measure different aspects of fathering, and because samples vary in family roles and cultural norms; methodological variation affects what is measured and its reliability, while true population differences mean fathers play different roles in different samples, producing divergent findings.

Question 12

Level 4 (13-16): Knowledge of the stages of attachment and the role of the father is accurate and detailed. Discussion is thorough and well balanced, using relevant evidence to support points and considering strengths and limitations. Evaluation is integrated and analytical, considering methodological issues, alternative explanations and real-world implications. Answers apply material appropriately and show clear, coherent reasoning with specialist terminology.
Level 3 (9-12): Knowledge is generally accurate with some detail on stages and father-role research. Discussion shows evaluation and use of evidence but may be less thorough or somewhat unbalanced. Some application and analysis is present. The answer is organised and uses relevant terminology.
Level 2 (5-8): Knowledge is present but limited or partial. Discussion contains some evaluative points but these are underdeveloped or descriptive. Evidence and application may be brief or only partly relevant. Specialist terms may be used inconsistently.
Level 1 (1-4): Knowledge is very limited with little appropriate discussion or evaluation. The answer may be largely descriptive or disorganised and lack relevant evidence or terminology.
Level 0 (0): No creditable content.
Indicative content:
- AO1: Schaffer and Emerson's stages: asocial stage (early weeks, similar responses to social and non-social stimuli, preference for faces), indiscriminate attachment (around 2-7 months, preference for people, accepts comfort from any adult, little stranger/separation anxiety), specific or discriminate attachment (around 7-9 months, primary attachment to one caregiver, separation and stranger anxiety, proximity-seeking), multiple attachments (around 10 months onwards, attachments to several people including father and other caregivers).
- AO1: Clear description of behavioural signs and typical age ranges is expected, and the idea that multiple attachments build on the specific attachment.
- AO2: Apply stages to brief vignettes to show understanding of behavioural criteria for each stage and appropriate age ranges. Use examples to show how separation anxiety or stranger anxiety indicate specific attachment, while acceptance of comfort from any adult indicates indiscriminate stage.
- AO1/AO2: Evidence concerning fathers: many studies find fathers are rarely the primary attachment figure in conventional samples; Grossmann's longitudinal research linking fathers' play quality to later attachment outcomes; Field's experimental and observational work showing fathers can adopt expressive caregiving when primary caregivers and form secure attachments.
- AO3: Evaluative points about Schaffer and Emerson: strengths include a naturalistic longitudinal design that showed typical progression across stages; limitations include an unrepresentative, historical sample, reliance on mothers' reports and retrospective elements, and changing childcare patterns that may alter timing and prevalence of stages today.
- AO3: Evaluation of father research: methodological diversity and sample differences produce inconsistent findings; some studies emphasise play and stimulation as fathers' key contribution, others focus on sensitivity and caregiving; Field shows role flexibility while other work emphasises traditional maternal primacy. Discuss issues of operationalisation of attachment, cultural and socioeconomic variation, and whether attachment functions can be shared across caregivers.
- AO3: Consider alternative explanations such as role of experience and opportunity for interaction, gender-role socialisation, and biological influences. Discuss practical implications for parental leave policy and early-years practice, and caution when generalising findings across different family structures.
- AO3: Conclude with a balanced judgement that Schaffer and Emerson's stages remain a useful descriptive framework but must be applied flexibly in light of social change and methodological limits, and that fathers can and do contribute to attachment in multiple ways, with evidence supporting both distinct paternal roles and the capacity to form primary attachments under certain conditions.

Stages of Attachment and the Role of the Father - Worksheets, Questions and Revision