Development and variety of attachments.

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Development and variety of attachments

Attachment is the close emotional relationship between two people, which involves a feeling of well-being and a desire to be close. Although attachments occur throughout your life, the attachment made between an infant and caregiver is particularly important. Development of attachments

Infants have an innate ability to seek interactions with other individuals. This is known as sociability and is integral to the phases in the development of attachment (Scaffer, 1996).

The table below summarises the four stages of this process:

Phase of attachment:

Age range:

Characteristics of phase:

Pre-attachment phase

0-3 months

At about 6 weeks, infants begin to treat other humans differently from objects by smiling and gurgle at them.

Indiscriminate attachment phase

3-7 months

Infant can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people but is quite happy to be comforted by anyone.

Discriminate attachment phase

7-9 months

Infant distinguishes between carers and strangers and exhibits distress or separation anxiety when left alone (they have developed object permanence) and may be fearful of the strangers.

Multiple attachment phase

9+ months

Attachments develop with other people (for