Attachment quiz Flashcards
What did John Bowlby say
Goal of attachment behavior is to keep close to a preferred person in order to maintain a sense of security
Attachment theory has become…
the dominant theory used in the study of infant and toddler behavior
What is attachment
the (strong) bond that develops between a child and parent
In the “transactional model” what are child-parent transactions key to?
attachment and development
Neuroscience has shown that …
early brain development is experience dependent
What is the Critical Fundamental Principle
the brain develops and organizes as a reflection of developmental experiences, organizing in response to the pattern, intensity, and nature of sensory and perceptual experience
What are the 3 basic assumptions
- attachment is universal
- attachment varies across cultures
- attachments develop with specific people
What are the 2 Functions of Attachment
- Provide a sense of security in the world
- to facilitate regulation of affect and arousal
attachment provides with children with what?
the motivation to learn and explore about the world and develop new skills
how are child-parent connections formed and reinforced
through sensorial contact such as gazing, smelling, tasting, hearing, touching, rocking, feeding etc
Good Infant attachment characteristics
interactive play
engage parents
imitate and initiate
cooing and babbling
secure infant attachment have the capacity for…
neurobehavioral self-organization
what do infants sensory capacities genetically prepare them for
responding to human interaction
what do infant-parent interaction and sensory activates do
shape the experiences of the child
What sense is central to neurobiology of attachment
Vision
What is a critical stimulus for infants
the mothers face
Winnicott (Transitional objects)
an object that toddlers use to soothe, protect, and empower them
the object helps them cope with separations from parents
Mary Ainsworth - Describe the “strange situation”
create a more stressful situation to generate attachment response
12-18 month old - into room with moms
strangers enter the room and talk to mom
mom leaves and then returns
infant responses became the most sensitive indicator for attachment
What factors influence parental responsiveness
Mental illness or substance abuse
what are the 4 types of attachement
secure
avoidant
ambivalent
disorganized
Signs of secure attachment
confidence in the attachment relationship
greet mother positively
look relieved and happy
calmed quickly when soothed
Implications (secure attachment)
More confident about exploring
more flexible
good attachment generalized to other relationships
less negative affect
capacity for empathy
What are some signs of Avoidant Attachemnt
played independently
actively avoided contact
no distress when caregiver leaves
impression of self reliance
preoccupied with toys
conveyed attachment was not important
Mothers (could also be fathers) characteristics for infant avoidant
infants actively rejected or ignored by their mother (father)
spoke about their infants in negative terms
were seen as very angry
intolerant of infants distress
defensive somberness
Avoidant Implications
higher levels of hostility and unprovoked aggressive behavior
more negative interactions with other children
doesn’t ask for help
likely to sulk and withdraw
viewed more negatively
Ambivalent attachment
conveys a strong need for attachment but lack of confidence in its availability
very intense reaction to separation
anxious in the pre-separation stage
desperate for contact but also resists efforts
can not be soothed
intense affect
ambivalent implications
low levels of autonomous behavior
remain preoccupied with attachment
unable to master normative separation fears
behavioral inhibition
lack of assertiveness
social withdrawal and poor social skills
Disorganized/Disoriented attachment
contradictory behavior
confused and disorganized attempts to reestablish attachment
may appear afraid of the caregiver
may go to stranger for comfort
unable to self regulate
may seek self stimulatory behavior
Disorganized attachment continued
afraid of caregivers and fear is unresolved
consistent with a history of unresolved trauma in the caregiver
consistent with history of maltreatment
found with parents who have serious mental illness
increased risk with poverty
higher resting heart rates and levels of cortisol
Disorganized implications
poor self confidence
poor academics
dissociation
poor overall outcome
increased aggressive behavior
poor social skills
What are the adult attachment styles
secure/autonomous
insecure:
Preoccupied
dismissive
disorganized/unresolved
Attachment interference (% in trauma)
insecure attachment is developed by 70-100% of neglected, abused, and traumatized children
Children with mothers who are severely depressed are…
likely to be insecurely attached (55-85%)
what is the typical outcome of relational trauma
insecure attachment
relational trauma and sensory deprivation may be an underlying cause of:
anxiety
depression
ADHD
aggression
attachment disorders
sensory integration dysfunction
What is Criteria A for RAD
consistent pattern of inhibited, emotionally withdrawn behavior manifested by BOTH of the following:
1. The child rarely or minimally seeks comfort when distressed.
2. The child rarely or minimally responds to comfort when distressed.
What is Criteria B for RAD
A persistent social and emotional disturbance characterized by at least two of the following:
1. Minimal social and emotional responsiveness to others
2. Limited positive affect
3. Episodes of unexplained irritability, sadness, or fearfulness that are evident even during nonthreatening interactions with adult caregivers.
what is Criteria C for RAD
The child has experienced a pattern of extremes of insufficient care as evidenced by at least one of the following:
1. Social neglect or deprivation in the form of persistent lack of having basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation and affection met by caregiving adults
2. Repeated changes of primary caregivers that limit opportunities to form stable attachments
3. Rearing in unusual settings that severely limit opportunities to form selective attachments
What are criteria D-G in RAD
D. The care in Criterion C is presumed to be responsible for the disturbed behavior in Criterion A
E. The criteria are not met for autism spectrum disorder.
F. The disturbance is evident before age 5 years.
G. The child has a developmental age of at least 9 months.
What are the RAD specifiers
Persistent (12+ months)
current severity
What are the characteristics of Indiscriminate Sociability
wandering off without distress
approaching strangers
going off with strangers
not being shy with new adults
being overly friendly with new adults
What is Criteria A for DSED
A pattern of behavior in which a child actively approaches and interacts with unfamiliar adults and exhibits at least two of the following:
1. Reduced or absent reticence in approaching unfamiliar adults.
2. Overly familiar verbal or physical behavior
3. Diminished or absent checking back with adult caregiver after venturing away, even in unfamiliar settings.
4. Willingness to go off with an unfamiliar adult with minimal or no hesitation.
What is Criteria B for DSED
The behaviors in Criterion A are not limited to impulsivity (as in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) but include socially disinhibited behavior.
What is Criteria C for DSED
The child has exhibited a pattern of extremes of insufficient care as evidenced by at least one of the following:
1. Social neglect or deprivation in the form of persistent lack of having basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation and affection met by caregiving adults.
2. Repeated changes of primary caregivers that limit opportunities to form stable attachments
3. Rearing in unusual settings that severely limit opportunities to form selective attachments
What is the difference between RAD and DSED
RAD has only been linked to children who lack secure attachments. DSED has been linked to children who lacked secure attachments, but have experienced some recovery.
DSED is also treatment resistant. Do not see as much improvement with healthy caregiving as opposed to RAD where massive improvement is also noted.
DSED is linked to higher rates of
externalizing disorders
RAD is linked to higher rates of
internalizing disorders
what are young children with DSED more likely to be misdiagnosed with
ADHD
what are young children with RAD more likely to be misdiagnosed with
Autism
is caregiver attachment history predictive of attachment style in children
YES
