CHAPTER 14 ATTACHMENT
Jan 18, 2016
CHAPTER 14
ATTACHMENT
Attachment
A deep and enduring connection established between a child and caregiver in the first several years of life.
Central to human life
Attachment Theory
How are these central relationships formed?
TouchEye ContactSmile and Positive AffectNeed Fulfillment
Context in Which Attachment Theory was Developed
John BowlbyWWII child evacuationsNo connection-meeting physical
and emotional needs Not forming new attachmentsChildren-not playing
Influences on Bowlby’s Theory
Disagreed with traditional psychoanalytic theory
Adopted an evolutionary perspective (Darwin)
Others in Attachment History
David Levy Loretta Bender Harry Bakwin Rene Spitz James Robertson- stages of emotional
reaction to loss/separation Harry Harlow
The wire and cloth surrogate “mothers” used in Harlow’s research. This infant monkey has formed an attachment to the cloth mother that provides “contact comfort,” even though it must stretch to the wire mother in order to feed.
Key ideas of Attachment Theory
Attachment is a biologically based need separate from other such needs
Attachment need and exploratory behavior have a reciprocal relationship
Each person forms a mental representation of the early attachment experience
Self-awareness as autonomous person facilitated by attachment
How Do We Observe Children’s Attachment?
Mary AinsworthUganda and BaltimoreStrange SituationAttachment Classifications
How Do Secure Attachments Form
Parenting Dimensions: Acceptance Cooperation Sensitivity Availability
Consequences for later Development Self-esteem Independence/autonomy Resilience Impulse control Long-term friendships Relationships with authority figures (including parents) Prosocial coping skills Trust, intimacy and affection Positive belief systems Empathy, compassion, and conscience Behavioral performance and academic success Promote secure attachment with own children
Cultural Variations
In U.S., one-third (middle class families) insecurely attached
Percentage higher in high-risk families Results consistent in all cultures Universal and culture-specific aspects of
attachment German replication: avoidant
attachment Israeli kibbutzim: ambivalent attachment
Romantic Attachment
Adult Attachment Interview (Mary Main) Secure- balance attachment/autonomy
Preoccupied- abandonment,
anxiety/anger Dismissing- compulsively self-reliant Fearful- self-doubt, lack of strategies
In the study by Simpson er al, (2007) relationship quality at each step in development affected relationship quality at the next step.