attachment theory Flashcards
attachment theory (developed by Ainsworth and Bowlby in the 1970s) identified…
the idea of development of social relationships, and how the type of attachment would influence relationships in later life
Attachment theory is rooted in
object relations theory
basic assumption of object relations theory
all people naturally seek relationshps with other people
internal working model (coined by Bowbly)
- are frameworks of thoughts, feelings, plans, goals that allow us to make sense of our relationships with others and the world around us
- developed over time with “millions of experiences”
- schemas
IWM helps to (3)
1) make sense of others behaviour
2) make predictions regarding future behaviours
3) facilitate the organization of the individual’s response
*4 main components of Attachment Behavioural System (Bowlby, 1982)
1) Our attachment figure is our secure base
2) As infants, we seek proximity* and support from a secure base* in times of need
3) We use our secure base as a safe haven to explore new experiences
4) We experience distress as a separation protest when attachment figure becomes unavailable to us
Positive interaction cycle:
Self worth/self esteem is reinforced through ->
positive parent/child interactions ->
child responds positively ->
positive response maintains or increases feelings of self worth and self esteem->….
Requirements of developing a secure base (as per Bowlby)
** to have a secure base/attachment in life, it’s the repetitive nature of positive interactions which contribute to a positive internal working model ** - Bowlby
Parental behaviours necessary to develop a secure attachment
- sensitive
- responsive
- accepting
Attachment styles
1) secure
2) insecure-avoidant
3) insecure-ambivalent (or anxious-ambivalent)
4) disorganized
5) non-attached
Secure attachment style
- Experience is that caregiver is accessible and responsible
- Child responds positively to caregiver upon reunification – after separation
- Actively seek out interactions (relationships) with others
- Readily accepts comfort if distressed
- Display few negative behaviours towards their caregivers
- Balance of a secure base and haven of safety
Outcomes:
• Working model of self is “worthy and competent”. Working model of others is “responsible and dependable”.
Insecure-Avoidant
• Experience that caregiver is rejecting
- Show little stress upon separation
- Do not seek affection upon reunification
- Show little preference for their primary caregiver over strangers
- The child’s reaction to separation and reunification helps the child maintain proximity to their parent without risking rejection
Outcomes:
• Working model of self as “alone or unwanted” and working model of others as “rejecting and untrustworthy”
Insecure-ambivalent/anxious-ambivalent
• Experience parents as being unpredictable or inconsistent in their responses (not overly rejecting)
- High level of stress both upon separation and when their primary caregivers are present
- Upon reunification, children demonstrate angry resistance – seeking out their caregivers, but then pushing them away
- Ambivalent-resistant children may appear more attached, by becoming alarmed by the presence of a stranger or appearing helpless/distressed if caregiver leaves
- These children are unsure whether the caregiver will be responsive, may be at risk for separation anxiety, tend to be preoccupied with caregiver’s availability and may be clingy/dependent
- The child fears potential abandonment and will maximize efforts to maintain close parental attachments by becoming hypervigilant for any signs of threat or rejection
Outcome:
o Working models of self whose “worthiness of attention” is questionable, working models of others as being “questionable” (untrusting?)
Disorganized attachment
- Experience parents as being frightening (associated with abuse)
- Diverse contradictory behaviours including strong proximity-seeking behaviour followed by avoidance, general expressions of fear, some disorientation/confusion and apprehension upon caregivers return
- Disorganized responses are attempts to gain some sense of security from parents that are unpredictable
Non-attached
• Associated with war-traumatized or orphaned children
Benefits of secure attachment: (7)
- Attain full intellectual/cognitive potential
- Sort of perceptions
- Think logically
- Become self-reliant
- Handle fear and worry
- Develop future relationships
- Cope with stress and frustration
Lack of attachment associated with challenges in: (7)
- Conscience development
- Impulse control/behaviour
- Self-esteem
- Interpersonal interactions
- Emotional expression
- Cognitive skills
- Personal/social development
Attachment disturbance results from… (3)
1) Parental behaviours
2) Vulnerabilities
3) disruption or loss
1) Parental behaviours (sensitive/insensitive, responsive/unresponsive, accepting/rejecting)
- Failure to consistently respond to child
- If child does not experience discomfort (developmental delay)
- If caregiver over-anticipates child’s needs (helicopter parent)
- If caregiver is unable to relieve child’s discomfort
2) Parental vulnerabilities
- Grief or unresolved trauma
- Caregiver’s absence of security/safety
- Caregiver depression
- Substance abuse
3) Loss and Disruption
- Parental Death
- Child’s hospitalization
- Loss of parental contact
- Out of home placement
Common Behaviour in Parent Attachment Disturbance:
o Attribute negative intentionality to infant
o Punish infant for not meeting expectations
• Treatment requires that move beyond parental psychopathology and focus on improving interaction between parent and child
Parent-child attachment enhanced by:
- parent’s positive feeling towards the child
- demonstrated concern for the child’s well-being
- parent’s capacity to empathize with the child’s perspective of experience
- parent’s ability to respect the child’s needs and give them priority over their own wishes/needs
Themes of Attachment (4)
1) attachment has a biological/physiological base (amygdala under stress and the child’s capability to self soothe)
2) attachment is universal
3) attachment is intergenerationally transmitted
4) parental/caregiver problems are better predictors of attachment relationships than infant difficulties
Attachment theory critique
o Inconsistent empirical support
o *Attachment style/level of attachment is difficult to measure
o Focus on mothers as caregivers attributes blame and causality to mothers
o Attachment needs to extend beyond dyadic relationships to include social factors
o *Neckoway et al. (2007) argue that attachment theory needs to be culturally sensitive and recognize different parenting arrangements (shared parenting in many aboriginal communities)
Resilience definition (rooted in field of developmental psychopathology)
- Human capacity to deal with crises, stressors, and normal experiences in an emotionally and physically healthy way (Barker, 2003) e.g.: a child who develops healthy relationships with other relatives in the face of parental neglect
- Normal development under difficult conditions
adversity definition
• Life events or circumstances which pose a threat to healthy development
Vulnerability definition
• Characteristics of the child, the family and the wider community which may threaten healthy development
Protective environment: eludes to
• Factors in the environment that are protective
Protective factors are:
- variables that reduce chances of negative outcomes in the presence of risk.
- E.g.: individual characteristics, child’s interaction with environment, school-home relations, quality of school
Outcomes of protective factors:
o Directly decrease dysfunction
o Buffer effects of risk factors
o Disrupts the trajectory which leads to psychopathology [mental disorders – genetic, biological, psychological and social causes]
o Prevent initial occurrence of risk
Risk factors:
o No single risk factor, or combination or risk factors, including parental divorce, abuse and neglect, or poverty, guarantees poor developmental outcomes
o Poor outcomes generally occur under two conditions: presence of risk factors and the absence of protective factors
Vulnerability: individual factors
o Developmental delay, pre-maturity o Poor attachment experiences o Learning difficulties o Lack of social skills o Behaviour problems
Vulnerability: Parental/Family factors
o Mental health issues or cognitive impairment
o Domestic violence
o Lack of knowledge re: healthy child development
o Drug/alcohol use
o Racism
Risk factors for psychopathology [mental disorders]
o Biological/genetic factors: disability, peri-natal complications
o Delays in skill development: work habits, reading, social skills
o Emotional difficulties
o Family circumstances
o Interpersonal problems
Parental factors:
o Parental mental illness significantly increases risk of psychiatric disorders within children
Parental mental illness:
- o Most research focuses on maternal depression
o Children of parents diagnosed with bipolar or schizophrenia are at greater risk of developing mental disorder
Vulnerability: Community factors
o Absence of extended family support o Poor housing o Under or unemployment o Poverty o Lack of social support o Lack of early intervention services o Racism o Conflicts with support system
Protective factors :
o Often located within families, neighborhoods and schools – yet are often overlooked in assessment of human behaviour problems
o It is the individual/family perceptions of assets as protective, and not exclusively the professionals
