Attachment Theory: Schaffer and Emerson

Authors

• Jeffery H. Cornelius-White, Missouri State UniversityFollow
• Joan E. Test, Missouri State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

attachment theory, childhood, Peggy Emerson, proximity, Rudolph Shaffer

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Theory and Philosophy

Abstract

Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson’s work on the development of attachment in childhood is based on the evolutionary perspective of John Bowlby. 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.

Recommended Citation

Cornelius-White, Jeffery H. and Test, Joan E., "Attachment Theory: Schaffer and Emerson" (2025). Essays in Developmental Psychology. 20.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/edp/20