Attachment Flashcards
What is attatchment
Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space.
Attachment to parents are the first and longest relationship which will form the basis of many future relationships.
Key findings of Harlow’s experiment
Baby monkeys who were reared with both a wire and cloth mother, were found to spend up to 18 hours per day on the cloth mother, and only 1 or 2 hours on the wire mother.
Contact comfort (provided by the softness of the cloth covering) was more important than feeding, in the formation of attachment to the babies mother, even if the wire monkey had a feed bottle.
Bowlby Attachment Theory
Theorised that children have a biological need to form a bond with one main attachment figure, this bond is more important than with any other attachment figures and is usually the mother.
Bowlby believed children who suffered loss and failure in early relationships were more likely to experience negative psychological consequences later in life, and an inability to form close relationships
Monotropy theory
attachment with only one figure (usually the mother)
Key points
-children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive.
-a child forms many attachments, but one of these is qualitatively different. This is what he called primary attachment, monotropy.
-suggests that there is acritical periodfor developing attachment (2.5 years).
Bowlby maternal deprivation hypothesis
Maternal deprivation – if an individual is separated from their mother (or primary care giver), the child will not develop attachments.
Intellectual development may be delayed, evident in abnormally low IQ
Emotional development may be affected, unable to have empathy for others. Referred to as affectionless psychopathy.
Difficulties forming social relationships with others.
Bowlby strengths
-Led to orphan studies being run and it improved the conditions for the children.
-The internal working model provides strong reasoning for the relationships that adults form.
-Relationships developed with the primary caregiver produce a template for forming relationships throughout
Bowlbys limitations
The mother is the main caregiver, this may not be the case in all situations.
Evidence suggests that if high quality care is given after the first 2 and a half years of life (the critical period) a child can fully recover.
Bowlbys real world application
Understand how a child that was deprived of care at an early age can aid social workers. The social worker can then provide help support and education to families. This in turn helps the families to support the child and provide them with the care they need.
Internal working model
Internal working model guides the way a child responds to others. Children who have receive positive working models are better able to interact with society.
A child who has a loving relationship with a main attachment figure will unconsciously expect future relationships to be similar and demonstrate the same qualities they have been exposed to. A negative experience results in the child expecting to be treated poorly and will also treat others in this way.
Internal working model of others
by the age of 5, children have learned about their caregivers; their likes, dislikes and personalities characteristics.
Internal working model of self
child believes they are worthy of love and comfort due to their caregiver providing these qualities. If the child is rejected then a negative internal working model may develop. The child will feel unworthy of love and care.
Internal working model of the relationship between self and others
child will base their relationship with others from the first relationships they experience with the primary caregiver.
Ainsworth strange situation
Devised an experiment designed to measure the quality of an infants attachment to the primary care giver.
Stage 1: Mother and Baby
Stage 2: Mother, Baby and Stranger
Stage 3: Stranger and Baby
Stage 4: Mother returns
Stage 5: Stranger leaves
Stage 6: Mother leaves, leaving baby alone
Stage 7: Stranger returns
Stage 8: Mother returns and stranger leaves
Type A – insecure avoidant attachment
They do not seek contact with the attachment figure when distressed. They are very independent of the attachment figure both physically and emotionally. Such children are likely to have a caregiver who is insensitive and rejecting of their needs. The attachment figure may withdraw from helping during difficult tasks and is often unavailable during times of emotional distress.
Type B – secure attachment
Securely attached children comprised the majority of the sample in Ainsworth’s studies. They use the attachment figure as a safe base to explore the environment and seek the attachment figure in times of distress. Feel confident that the attachment figure will be available to meet their needs. Easily soothed by the attachment figure when upset.
