Attachment Flashcards
What is attachment?
- Defines as a warm relationship with important individuals
What can attachment do for us?
- Negative and positive influences
Pleasurable and joyful experiences
Support
How early can you see signs of attachment?
- Infants 6-12 months
Happiness seeing attachment figure
Seeks comfort, anxious or afraid
John Bowlbys model on attachment
-Emphasis on childs emotional connection to caregivers as a developed response crucial for survival (evolutionary view)
Sense of security
Ability to form trusting relationships
- 4 distinct phases in developing attachment
Preattachment phase
- Birth to 6 weeks
- Cry, smiling, grasping, gaze to come closer to other humans
- Infants are capable of recognizing voice, smell and face of mothers
- Not attached, dont mind unfamiliar adults
Attachment in-the-making phase
- 6 weeks to 6-8 months
- Different reaction to their familiar caregiver compared to stranger
- Positive emotions near familiar caregiver
- Develop a sense of trust, realizing their own actions influence behaviour of others
- Not attached, dont mind strangers or separation
Clear-cut Attachment Phase
- 6 months up to 2 years
- Clear separation anxiety from caregiver
Not always present - culture & temperament - React to caregivers attempt to leave
Formation of Reciprocal Relationships Phase
- 18 months and onward
- Child gets better at predicting when parents are leaving and returning
Alongside language skills and representational capacities - Separating protest decreases, in negotioation with caregiver
Formation of Reciprocal Relationships Phase
- 18 months and onward
- Child gets better at predicting when parents are leaving and returning
Alongside language skills and representational capacities - Separating protest decreases, in negotiation with caregiver
Whats the outcome of the four phases?
- Develop different types of attachment styles
- Hopefully positive experiences
- Guideline for future relationships
Secure Attachment
- Parents as a secure base for infant
- May show signs of anxiety during separation, seek more contact
- Prefer caregiver over stranger
Avoidant Attachment
- Unresponsive to parent
- Usually no signs of anxiety with separation
- Same reaction to parent and stranger
- Avoid or slow to connect with caregiver during reunion
Resistant Attachment
- Often close to parents, dont explore surroundings
- Usually signs of anxiety with separation
- Same reaction to parent and stranger
- Avoid or slow to connect with caregiver dring reunion
Disorganized Attachment
- Greatest insecurity
- During reunion , child;
Dont look at parent while being hold
Display stunned/frozen facial expression when approaching caregiver
What can influence attachment?
- SES status
- Child maltreatment
- Maternal depression
- Poor family functioning
- Culture
Values and beliefs, patterns may not be universal - Parenting style
- Adopted
- Family circumstances
- Parental own internal attachment model
- Childs temperament (mixed findings)
Its an outcome of reciprocal relationship!