ATTACHMENT Flashcards
what is attachment?
the tendency to make strong emotional bonds to a particular individual and its the basic component of human nature
what’s the purpose of early experiences of attachment?
they share how we see ourselves and how we form relationships through life
what is an attachment system?
a universal system activated when a child is lacking a basic need. it functions to promote survival, reduce fear, anxiety and distress, thus permitting the individual to pursue other important life tasks and goala
what are attachment behaviour examples?
a baby crying because it wants attention
what are the dimensions of attachment?
- seeking being in close proximity to a preferred figure
- the secure base (the child can turn to caregiver whenever distressed)
- separation from caregivers leads to protests
- anxiety around strangers
why is the way the caregiver responds important?
because the infant learns which behaviours are most likely to get their needs met
what are the 4 attachment patterns?
secure
insecure avoidant
insecure resistant
disorganised
describe the features of the secure attachment pattern?
62% of general population
child shows distress but is able to compose themselves because the caregiver provides them with a secure base making them feel protected but they know they can seek them out if needed. the caregiver is sensitive to the child’s cues and signals and will respond appropriately.
describe the features of the insecure-avoidant pattern?
15% of general population
child is independent of caregiver physically and emotionally so is less likely to cry when separated and will suppress their feelings, minimising attachment behaviours. The child will not seek the caregiver when distressed and lack confidence in the caregivers availability because of past expereiiences of them being rejecting or unresponsive or too intrusive so the infant learns avoidance is the best way to maximise caregiver meeting their needs
describe the features of an insecure-resistant pattern?
8% of the general population
this involves a picture of the child seeking and resisting contact and they will display anger/exaggerated distress to force the caregiver t notice them. the infant gets no feelings of security from the caregiver and so will not be comforted by interaction with them.
this could be due to the caregiver’s responsiveness being very inconsistent
describe the features of disorganised attachment patterns?
15% of general population
this involves odd and contradictory behaviour from the infant where they have freezing, stillness, slow but intentional movements. the child will be unaesthetic to find comfort as they will seek it but will fear being close to the caregiver. this could be due to a history of frightening care e.g. maltreatment
describe attachment development across the life course?
As children become older, attachment becomes less about how they behave with their caregivers and more about what they think about themselves in relation to emotionally important people and the relationships they have with them. it becomes a state of mind.
why do we need lots of different techniques for measuring attachment?
As different techniques are needed at different developmental stages because attachment changes overtime
describe the strange situation procedure by Ainsworth?
It observes attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships. It applies to infants between the age of nine and 18 months.it works by leaving a baby in a room of different circumstances i.e. mother and child, or child and stranger etc. this create temporal distress so an observer can note the behaviour to work out the type of attachment behaviour
describe Story Stem Attachment Profile by Hodges and Hilman?
when children of ages 4-7 respond to a set of 13 narrative story stems relating to everyday situations with an inherent dilemma and are asked ‘show me and tell me what happens next’
the responses indicate expectations and perceptions of family roles, attachments and relationships.
