Problem 3: Attachment Flashcards
Bonding
The emotional bond between two people - attachment
Psychoanalytic theory of attachment
Freud: A child attaches itself to the person or object that provides it with its oral needs.
Erikson: comfort and care and builds basic trust.
Learning theory of attachment
The child attaches himself to the person who rewards him and meets his needs. Eating plays an important role:
- It elicits positive reactions from the baby; which ensures affection.
- Feeding time is an occasion for the mother to provide comfort, which leads to the baby associating the mother with pleasurable sensations.
Cognitive-developmental theory of attachment
The child attached himself to a person they know will always be there.
- The baby must be able to distinguish between acquaintances and strangers and have an understanding of permanence which requires cognitive abilities
- Occurs after 7 to 9 months.
Contemporary attachment theory (evolution)
Innate tendencies that contribute to the survival of the species:
- Attachment protects the child from danger and ensures needs are met. It is adaptive.
- Imprinting: an innate form of learning in which young will follow moving objects.
Bowlby’s ethological theory of attachment
Recognize the infant’s emotional tie to the caregiver as an evolved response that promotes survival.
4 phases:
- Pre attachment phase - birth to 6 weeks.
- Attachment in the making phase - 6 weeks to 6/8 month
- Clear-cut attachment phase - 6/8 months to 18m/2 years.
- Formation of a reciprocal relationship 2 years onwards
Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Asocial phase
- Birth to 6 weeks
- Social and non-social stimuli produce a desired response
- Preference for social stimuli (smiling face)
Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Random Bonding
- 6 weeks to 6 months
- They appreciate the company of others.
- Smile more at human objects (dolls).
- Save their big smiles for mothers.
Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Specific Bonding
- 7 to 9 months
- Protest when taken away from mother.
- Crawl and become cautious of strangers.
- First genuine attachments
- promotes the development of exploratory behavior.
- Mother is a secure base.
Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Multiple sutures
- 9 to 18 months
- Starts to attach to others such as father, siblings, etc.
Reflexes
Innate, involuntary and automatic response to a stimulus
Primitive reflexes
- Relic of evolution that now serves no purpose.
- Often disappear within the first few months
- If reflexes are missing or continue for too long, there may be defects in the nervous system
Survival reflexes
- Adaptive values and ensures the satisfaction of primary needs.
- Has a positive effect on the caregiver, bringing them closer to the child.
Attachment fears: stranger anxiety
- An alert or grumpy reaction when they are approached by a stranger.
- Most babies react positively to strangers before the first attachment is made.
- Interest peaks around 8 to 10 months.
Attachment fears: Separation anxiety
- An alert or grumpy reaction that babies show when they are separated from those to whom they are attached.
- It manifests from 6 to 8 months, peaks at 14 to 18 months, and becomes less frequent and intense during the pre-school period.
- From an ethological perspective, this type of fear arises because separation from the parent during evolution has often created danger. It has become a biologically programmed fear.
Measuring bonding: Strange-situation procedure
It measures the quality of the emotional bond between mother and child through eight episodes of introductions, separations, and reunions.
- Three situations are created to test the baby’s reactions:
- natural caregiver-baby interactions in the presence of toys. It is examined whether the baby uses the caregiver as a safe base to explore the room
- The mother’s leaving and the entry of a strange person. Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety can be measured.
- The return of the mother. Reunion behavior is measured.
- By recording and measuring the child’s reaction to these three events, the child can be classified into one of the four known attachment patterns.
- This is not useful with children older than 2 years old.
Measuring bonding: Q-sort
- Can be used with children from 1 to 5 years old.
- The mother and baby are observed for a certain period of time, after which the observer piles up 90 cards with descriptions of mother-baby relationships from “least characteristic” to “most characteristic”.
Secure attachment style
- The child shows clear signs of attachment as evidenced by stranger anxiety, separation protest, and reunion behavior.
- The child looks to the mother when exploring new surroundings and feels comfortable in the mother’s presence.
- The child becomes upset at separation from the caregiver and seeks comfort during the reunion.
- The child interacts positively with strangers in the presence of the mother.
- This form occurs in 65% of children
Insecure-avoidant attachment style
- The child avoids or ignores the mother and will not play near her.
- They are upset when the mother leaves and are less enthusiastic when she returns.
- They can interact socially with strangers, but can also ignore them, just like the caregiver.
- This form occurs in 20% of children.
Insecure-resistant attachment style
- The child wants to be close to the mother and does not explore the room.
- They may cling to the mother when she leaves, but also show anger, dismissive, and sometimes aggressive behavior when she returns.
- When the mother returns, the child will stay close but will refuse physical contact.
- Resistively attached children react alertly to strangers, even when the mother is around.
- This occurs in 10% of children.
Insecure-disorganized attachment style
- There is fear of the caregiver, confused facial expressions, and avoidant or resistant behavior with physiological signs of stress, hostility, and aggression.
- The child does not know whether to avoid or approach the caregiver.
- These children are the most stressed by the strange situation and are the most insecure.
- This occurs in 5% of children.
Effects of attachment styles
Factors influencing attachment: Upbringing
- Upbringing:
- Sensitivity to signals
- Positive attitude
- Synchrony
- Stimulation
- Support
- Reciprocity - Characteristics of the child
- Goodness of fit - Risks of insensitivity
- Ecological context
- Culture
- Discruptions in bonding
- Adoption
- Premature birth
- Abuse
Fathers and attachments
