Attachment (L4) Flashcards
What does attachment theory recognize?
The importance of early relationships during childhood for later personality development
Emergence from psychoanalytic theory.
What is Bowlby’s view on the importance of attachment in early development?
Humans are evolutionary primed for attachment, with a critical period for attachment lasting 2.5 years
Disruptions during this period lead to lasting impacts on emotion, cognition, and behavior.
What are the stages of separation according to Bowlby?
Protest, Despair, Detachment
Protest involves screaming and crying, Despair involves giving up, and Detachment occurs because it was unbearable.
What is the maternal deprivation hypothesis?
A warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with a mother figure is necessary for healthy psychological/emotional development
Mother-love in infancy is as crucial for mental health as food is for physical health.
What are the psychological effects of separation during the attachment period?
Results in psychological deficits, such as affectionless character or antisocial personality, and may lead to depression and difficulty managing emotions
Mild cases can lead to emotional challenges.
What are some criticisms of the maternal deprivation hypothesis?
- Enforced unfair gender roles
- Should focus on the quality of the relationship
- Recognizes the resilience of children
- Emphasizes the ‘good enough’ mother
It constrained the freedom of women.
What is the relevance of Mary Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’?
Used to identify different attachment styles: Secure, Dismissive/Avoidant, Resistant, Disorganised
Each style has distinct responses to a caregiver’s departure and return.
Describe the Secure attachment style.
Distressed by mother’s departure but comforted by her return
Indicates a healthy attachment bond.
Describe the Dismissive/Avoidant attachment style.
No distress by mother’s departure and no need for comfort upon her return
Reflects emotional distance.
Describe the Resistant attachment style.
Distress at mother’s departure and unable to be comforted upon her return, often angry at mother for leaving
Indicates ambivalence in the attachment relationship.
Describe the Disorganised attachment style.
Catastrophic when mother leaves and unable to turn to her for support upon return
Indicates confusion in attachment behavior.
What are the weaknesses of adult attachment theory?
- Reinforces gender stereotypes
- Emphasizes the individual over collective relationships
- Neglects the broader social context
Includes factors like poverty.
What are the strengths of adult attachment theory?
- Highlights the importance of relationships
- Ensures appropriate resourcing of early relationships
- Allows for empirical examination of psychoanalytic ideas
Provides a framework for understanding attachment.
How does attachment manifest in romantic relationships for Secure individuals?
They know love is stable and expect and accept fluctuations
Reflects healthy expectations in relationships.
How does attachment manifest in romantic relationships for Avoidant individuals?
They are doubtful about finding a partner
Reflects fear of intimacy.
How does attachment manifest in romantic relationships for Anxious individuals?
They fall in love easily but find it hard to maintain relationships
Indicates insecurity in attachment.
How does attachment affect work behavior for Secure individuals?
They are confident within themselves and not dependent on affirmation
Reflects a healthy self-image.
How does attachment affect work behavior for Avoidant individuals?
They might work hard but don’t engage socially
Reflects emotional detachment.
How does attachment affect work behavior for Anxious individuals?
They are occupied by praise and fear of rejection
Indicates a lack of confidence in professional settings.
