Prelim 1 Flashcards
Why are we starting by learning about infancy?
- Many features of human attachment bonds (like baby talk or ventro-ventral contact) are similar across the lifespan
- The underlying mechanisms by which human bonds are formed (hormones and neurotransmitters) are mostly the same across the lifespan
- The effects of early bonding experiences (eg. on mind, brain, behavior) tend to endure across the lifespan
- The reaction to separation, disruption, loss of attachment bonds (e.g. on psychological wellbeing, or even morbidity) are essentially the same across the lifespan
“Secondary Drive Theory of attachment”
Why do babies “love” their parents/caregivers? Because their parents/caregivers feed them! i.e. a learned association to a primary drive
Predicts that: A child separated from familiar caregivers, BUT, well-fed and well-cared for by others is no problem
(but this is actually wrong)
“Secondary Drive Theory of attachment” disproved - what were the reasons Bowlby didn’t believe in it
Post WWII reality
Large number of orphans and their reactions did not fit with the secondary drive theory of attachment
- Well fed orphans were not fine
- Attachments in the absence of feeding
Ethological Attachment Theory
WHO report (1951)
“A warm, continuous association with (at least) one person…” i.e. a stable relationship
Ex. Goslings become attached to others, even objects, that don’t feed them
In times of stress, monkeys prefer cloth mothers who provude contact comfort over wire mesh mothers who provide milk
What is Bowlby’s Hypothesis on the Attachment Theory
Because we are an extremely atricial species, we have inborn, behavioral systems that regulate proximity to caregivers (just like physiological regulatory systems)
Attachment Behavioral System dynamics. What turns the system on and off? Draw this
The system turns on in response to stress or anxiety and off when the individual feels secure again.
If attachment figure is sufficiently near –>Yes –> Secure, content –> explore, play, socialize
If attachment figure is sufficiently near –> No –> Anxious, fearful –> Signal distress, seek contact
What are the defining features of the Attachment Behavioral System?
Proximity maintenance: The desire to be near the attachment figure
Safe haven: The attachment figure provides comfort during distress.
Secure base: The attachment figure serves as a base for exploration.
Separation distress: Anxiety caused by separation from the attachment figure.
Emotion Co-regulation: Attachment bonds help regulate emotions, allowing infants to calm down after distress by being near their caregivers.
Ontogeny of Attachment Bonds (i.e. stages in bond formation)
0-2 months: “pre-attachment”
2-6 months: “attachment in the making
6-8 months: clear cut attachment
- Separation distress
- Stranger anxiety
- Self produced locomotion
Monotropy
Monotropy refers to the idea that there is one primary attachment figure that is more important than all others in a child’s development. Bowlby believed that, while children can form multiple attachment relationships (such as with parents, siblings, and caregivers), there is usually one central attachment figure who plays the most crucial role in the child’s emotional security and development.
Bowlby argued that this attachment relationship is unique because it is central to the child’s development of trust, emotional security, and the ability to form future relationships.
Hierarchy
Attachment hierarchies describe how the multiple attachment figures in a child’s life are ranked in terms of importance and emotional significance. The primary attachment figure is at the top of this hierarchy, followed by secondary attachment figures like fathers, siblings, grandparents, or other caregivers. The idea is that these bonds are not equal in their influence on the child; rather, there is a clear ranking of which relationships provide the most security and emotional comfort.
Cradle to grave
Cradle to grave refers to Bowlby’s belief that attachment bonds are not just formed in childhood but are lifelong. He proposed that attachment processes influence individuals throughout their entire lives, and that attachment patterns formed early in life can continue to shape behavior and relationships in adulthood.
Normative restructuring within this context means that the attachment system is not static — it changes and evolves across the lifespan. For instance, the importance of the primary caregiver may decrease over time as the individual forms romantic relationships, friendships, or becomes independent. As people age, they may shift attachment bonds based on life stages, with certain figures becoming more or less important depending on the context (e.g., romantic partners, children, aging parents).
Emotion Co-regulation
Emotion Co-regulation: Attachment bonds help regulate emotions, allowing infants to calm down after distress by being near their caregivers.
Attachment Figure “Selection” Factors
Propinquity:
Meaning: This refers to physical closeness or proximity.
Explanation: Children are more likely to form attachments to those who are physically close and available, such as parents or caregivers who spend the most time with them. Proximity increases the chances of attachment behaviors (e.g., seeking comfort, staying close) being activated, fostering a stronger bond.
Familiarity:
Meaning: Familiarity is the degree to which a child has regular, repeated exposure to a person.
Explanation: Children tend to form attachments to those who are familiar to them. Regular interactions create a sense of trust and comfort, which allows for the development of secure attachments. Familiarity increases the likelihood of attachment behaviors being triggered because the child learns that the familiar person is a source of safety and support.
Physical Maturity:
Meaning: Physical maturity refers to the developmental stage of the caregiver, often in terms of their ability to provide care and protection.
Explanation: From an evolutionary perspective, children are likely to form attachments to caregivers who have the physical maturity and capabilities to provide protection, resources, and care. For example, older, more mature caregivers may be seen as better equipped to ensure the child’s survival and well-being, fostering stronger attachment bonds.
Physical Intimacy:
Meaning: Physical intimacy refers to the level of physical closeness and touch between the child and caregiver.
Explanation: Physical intimacy, such as holding, cuddling, or other forms of physical affection, helps reinforce the attachment bond. Physical touch is critical for emotional regulation and comfort, especially in early childhood. It enhances the emotional connection between the child and the caregiver, making the child feel more secure and safe.
Three Adaptive Challenges for humans to survive as a species (and corresponding behavioral systems)
- Survive to reproductive age
Attachment system - Successfully reproduce
Sexual mating system - Support offspring to reproductive age
Parent/caregiving system
Factors that Promote Bonding (by activating the parental/caregiving system)
- Infants neotenous features
- Infants soft, smooth skin
- Aversiveness of infant cries
- Appeal of infant laughter
- “Motherese”, “parentese”, baby talk
–> intonation, pitch, repetition, whispers - Infants attraction to faces, especially eyes
- Soothing ventro-ventral contact
–> Oxytocin (OT): labor, lactation, sexual orgasm
Reactions to Separation (“Bowlby’s terms” , The Biphasic Response
The bi-phasic response refers to two distinct emotional phases that occur in response to the separation of an infant or attachment figure from their caregiver. This idea, initially studied in human infants, was further explored by researcher Hofer in his studies of rat mothers and pups.
Phase 1: Protest (Active Distress)
The first phase involves the infant or pup showing active distress when separated from the attachment figure. This typically includes behaviors such as crying, searching, calling out, or other forms of agitated responses. The purpose of these behaviors is to re-establish the connection with the caregiver, and the child (or pup) will exhibit a visible attempt to “protest” the separation.
Phase 2: Despair (Passive Withdrawal)
If the separation is prolonged and the attachment figure does not return, the second phase, despair, sets in. This is characterized by a passive withdrawal, where the infant or pup becomes less active and more withdrawn. In human infants, this might look like a decrease in crying or a lack of effort to engage with their environment. The behavior shifts from active protest to an emotional state that reflects emotional disengagement, helplessness, or sadness.
What were conclusions Hofer could draw from his separation experiment with rats?
Hofer’s studies suggested that attachment bonds are not just psychological but are deeply embedded in physiological processes. His work emphasized that attachment bonds are crucial to the survival of the species, but the disruption of these bonds (through separation) can have profound effects on the emotional and physiological states of infants, leading to potentially damaging consequences. The bi-phasic response (protest followed by despair) supports the idea that emotional bonds are powerful and necessary for an infant’s emotional and physiological well-being.
Hofer’s conclusions about the despair phase specifically:
Hofer concluded that the “despair” phase was not just a reaction of temporary sadness or distress, but rather a physiological and emotional adaptation to prolonged separation. His studies suggested that the “despair” phase might actually serve a purpose: it could be seen as a protective mechanism to conserve energy and reduce stress in situations where the attachment figure is not immediately available. However, this state also signifies a breakdown of the attachment bond, where the infant or pup loses motivation to protest or search for the caregiver, possibly because they are losing hope that the caregiver will return.
Pups in “despair” phase? What exactly do they miss?
Missed milk, warmth, and touch
*each symptom was tied to a specific feature?
___ and __ co-regulation is an inherent feature of attachment
Psychological and Physiological co-regulation is an inherent feature of attachment
Later, co-regulation in romantic couples and dis-regulating effects of couple separations
Cultural Variation in Sleep Arrangements
- Isolated sleeping is both new and rare (~10%)
- The cultural variation in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) refers to the differences in rates of SIDS across different cultures and societies. It highlights that the risk of SIDS (which typically affects infants between 1-4 months of age). Very high in the US, around 2500 deaths
Potential SIDS Contributors
- Routine apneas
- Repositioning of the larynx
- Relocation of breathing control
- Solitary sleeping
McKenna research on co vs solitary sleeping
Co sleeping leads to more waking, more nursing, more adjustments, and less time in “deep” phases of sleep*
How does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend your child sleeps?
One their back - sleeping on the belly can make them more susceptible to SIDS
Also recommends room sharing, but not bed sharing
What is Kangaroo Care
Background: Original studies in rural Columbia a shortage of incubators for preemies staff suggests, do as other mammals
A marsupial model of pre-term infant care
What are short term effects of Kangaroo Care
Cried less, slept longer, lower levels of stress hormones, gained weight more quickly, went home soone
Long-term effects of Kangaroo Care
Less stress reactive and more explatatory
“Strange Situation” Paradigm
- 8 Episodes in total
1: (Stranger), Baby, Mom
2. Baby, Mom
3. Stranger, Baby, Mom
4. Baby, Stranger
5. Baby, Mom
6. Baby
7. Baby, Stranger
8. Baby, Mom
Which episodes in the experiment are coded to assign infants to a particular pattern/style?
Episodes 5 and 8, the reunion episodes can determine what a baby’s attachment style is
Three “Patterns” or “Styles” of Infant-caregiver attachment
- Secure: When caregiver returns baby seeks contact and is fully soothed (67%)
- Anxious/Ambivalent: When caregiver returns, baby seeks contact but is not fully smoothed, angrily resist comfort (12%)
- Avoidant: When caregiver returns baby actively avoids contact, and thus is not soothed (21%)
Ainsworth Baltimore Study
Method:
- in home 4 hours every other week for the first 3 months
- detailed notes on mother-infant interactions
- then at 12 months, lab visit for the strange situation
Finding: one reliable predictor of infants strange situation behavior style is the caregivers responsiveness to distress
Caregiver’s responsiveness to distress
- Notice (paying attention)
- Interpret correctly (understanding)
- Respond promptly and warmly (caring)
Attachment Styles and caregiving responsiveness
- Secure: When caregiver returns baby seeks contact and is fully soothed (67%)
–> Caregiver consistently responds - Anxious/Ambivalent: When caregiver returns, baby seeks contact but is not fully smoothed, angrily resist comfort (12%)
–> Unconsistently responsive - Avoidant: When caregiver returns baby actively avoids contact, and thus is not soothed (21%)
–> Consistently unresponsive
Disorganized pattern style
- Small percentage of infants in normative samples did not fit into these categories
- Meta-analysis revealed a 4th pattern/style
- Large percentage of infants in abused and or neglected samples
Caregiver Responsiveness or innate infant temperament?
- Neonatal temperament does not predict styles, different styles with different caregivers, and you can be trained to change your style
Ainsworth’s view
If a one-year old does not derive security from the presence of an attachment figure then something has likely gone wrong in their relationship
What evidence indicates that infant attachment styles as observed in the strange situation at one year of age are the result of experiences with caregivers and not just inborn differences in infant temperament?
Research shows that attachment patterns can vary significantly across different cultures, which suggests that they are influenced by cultural caregiving practices rather than being simply innate characteristics of the infant. For instance, secure attachment might be more prevalent in some cultures due to consistent caregiving practices, while insecure attachment might be more common in cultures with different caregiving styles.
Why isn’t the caregiver responsive ?
- Wants to but can’t (has too many other demands)
- Doesn’t know how to
- Wants to but doesn’t understand the link between having a secure relationship and becoming independent (they think its the opposite)
Cultural Variations in the Strange Situation
- Not in % of securely attached”, but rather, % of each of the insecure categories
Lasting Effects of Early Bonding Experiences
Experiences –> Expectations –> Behaviors
This is all regulated by the Adrenal Nervous System and the HPA, therefore, our early relationships get into our heads and under our skin (reactivity to stress, strategies for coping with stress)
Zayas et al.
Maternal caregiving at 18 months predicts adult peer and partner attachment at 22 years of age
Conquest video
- Monkeys prefer the cloth monkey over the wired monkey even though the wired monkey was the one providing food at the time
- Monkeys would hang out with peers when safe, but when a threat appeared, the monkey would run back to its mother
