Module 6 - Attachment, Toxic Stress, Abuse

Question 1

What is the Dynamic Explanatory Model of attachment?

Answer 1

Childhood caregiving experiences affect vulnerability to stress + psychopathology outcomes

Question 2

What is Harlow’s theory of attachment?

Answer 2

• Socially withdrawn children (due to poor caregiving experiences) can make gains in social & emotional development by being around younger, positive children.
• Experiment results with cloth monkeys: Monkeys reared in isolation avoided social contact & abused/neglected their future children, but expanded their contacts when later placed in healthy environment with younger monkeys.

Question 3

What is Bolwby’s theory of attachment?

Answer 3

Attachment is instinctive. Infants are programmed to ensure caregiver’s proximity + care, in order to ensure survival.

Question 4

What are the Developmental Functions, according to Bowlby?

Answer 4

Infant: (1) keeps caregiver close for survival, (2) explores the world through secure base from caregiver, (3) overcomes anxiety through sense of security

Parent: (1) increases sense of parenting competence + commitment, (2) reduce likelihood of mistreating children if closely attached.

Question 5

What are the Parent-Infant Attachment Styles, according to Mary Ainsworth?

Answer 5

1. Secure: Readily available and effective response to child’s need –> positive outcomes for child
2. Insecure-Avoidant: Unresponsive to child –> flat affect for emotions
3. Insecure/Ambivalent-Resistant: generates history of rejected/ignored feelings –> inhibits positive feelings
4. Insecure-Disorganised: Impatient, angry & resentful –> child is confused, frightened + prefers strangers to caregiver

Question 6

What are the brain’s natural threat responses?

Answer 6

Fight, flight, freeze: designed to manage stress & create safety
Flock: Look to others to copy response
Flop: Final response style (playing dead)

Question 7

What causes dysregulation and what happens to us when it happens?

Answer 7

Caused by too much stress, results in FFF overdrive

Question 8

What is the role of attachments for regulation?

Answer 8

Learned through attachment relationships.
Language of regulation –> matching the baby’s state and bringing them back to regulation = window of tolerance where they feel calm enough to learn.

Question 9

Why is exposure to some stress in childhood important?

Answer 9

adults who have never learned how to cope with stress in childhood won’t have the regulation skills needed to overcome challenges

Question 10

Impacts of trauma:

Answer 10

(1) overwhelming stress & dysregulation = avoids anything that reminds us of trauma
(2) cumulative effects = more exposure –> heightened vulnerability to mental health problems
(3) the earlier the trauma –> the more diffused the impacts are

Question 11

Impacts of being hurt by a loved one:

Answer 11

(1) attachment and regulation systems are unsettled and confused
(2) feeling trust & love becomes unsafe as they were hurt by the ones entrusted to keep them safe.

Question 12

How can we help the healing process from trauma?

Answer 12

(1) stay within window of tolerance
(2) encourage safe & meaningful connections
(3) bottom up approach –> experience lack of safety within safe relationships
(4) giving the child some level of control