Attachment and Empathy Flashcards
What are the four characteristics of attachment relationships?
- secure base
- safe haven
- efforts to maintain proximity
- reactions to separation and unification
Explain the biological basis of the attachment system.
wired in the limbic system: amygdala and
hippocampus
- response to signals of care and affection
- affiliative interactions have a soothing effect
What are the four adult attachment styles?`
- secure attachment
- preoccupied attachment
- dismissive attachment
- disorganized attachment
What are cues of attachment problems in offender literature?
- history of child maltreatment
- difficulties interpersonal problems
- disorganized attachment leads to hostility and aggression later in life
- early separation from caregivers
Explain the proposed hypothesis for early caregiver separation.
- separation from caregivers
- prolonged separation + frightening parenting
- anger at caregivers
- dysfunctional anger
Explain attachment and general antisociality.
bidirectional relationship dismissive attachment and antisocial behaviour.
- early separation from caregivers
- unaffectionate mother and deviant father
- prefrontal cortex as neurobiological marker
interference with moral development: possible mechanism
Explain attachment and (child) sexual abuse.
CSA often preoccupied attachment
rapist often dismissive attachment
What are possible explanations for preoccupied attachment?
- problems relating to others
- lack of interpersonal skills and confidence
- inadequacy and loneliness
- anxiety and social phobia
What is the neurobiological model for psychopaths vs paedophiles?
psychopaths: hypo amygdala, low neuropeptides
paedophile: hyper amygdala, high neuropeptides
what are possible treatment options for attachment?
attachment as responsivity factor
- complementary therapy style
- work on limbic areas (emotions)
Explain the preliminary four-stage model of empathy.
- recognition of another’s distress
- ability to take another’s perspective
- experience of matching emotion
- possible action to ameliorate other’s state
Explain Marshall’s revised empathy model
- recognize distress
- relation to the victim: good or bad [appraisal]
- escape, indifference or empathy
What are treatment implications for empathy?
- strengthening emotional resilience, before sensitizing to victim harm
- personalized approach
Explain the victim-empathy deficit.
only non-empathic responses in specific scenarios.
- cognitive distortions rather than empathy deficit
- refuse to acknowledge harm and don’t see need for empathy
- tactics to deny harm
- shame
- poor emotion regulation skills
- preserve self-esteem
