Problem 3: Attachment

Question 1

Bonding

Answer 1

The emotional bond between two people - attachment

Question 2

Psychoanalytic theory of attachment

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Learning theory of attachment

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

Cognitive-developmental theory of attachment

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Contemporary attachment theory (evolution)

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Bowlby’s ethological theory of attachment

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Asocial phase

Answer 7

• Birth to 6 weeks
• Social and non-social stimuli produce a desired response
• Preference for social stimuli (smiling face)

Question 8

Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Random Bonding

Answer 8

• 6 weeks to 6 months
• They appreciate the company of others.
• Smile more at human objects (dolls).
• Save their big smiles for mothers.

Question 9

Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Specific Bonding

Answer 9

• 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.

Question 10

Schaffer and Emerson’s phases of development: Multiple sutures

Answer 10

• 9 to 18 months
• Starts to attach to others such as father, siblings, etc.

Question 11

Reflexes

Answer 11

Innate, involuntary and automatic response to a stimulus

Question 12

Primitive reflexes

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

Survival reflexes

Answer 13

• Adaptive values and ensures the satisfaction of primary needs.
• Has a positive effect on the caregiver, bringing them closer to the child.

Question 14

Attachment fears: stranger anxiety

Answer 14

• 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.

Question 15

Attachment fears: Separation anxiety

Answer 15

• 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.

Question 16

Measuring bonding: Strange-situation procedure

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Measuring bonding: Q-sort

Answer 17

• 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”.

Question 18

Secure attachment style

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Insecure-avoidant attachment style

Answer 19

• 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.

Question 20

Insecure-resistant attachment style

Answer 20

• 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.

Question 21

Insecure-disorganized attachment style

Answer 21

• 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.

Question 22

Effects of attachment styles

Question 23

Factors influencing attachment: Upbringing

Answer 23

1. Upbringing:
   - Sensitivity to signals
   - Positive attitude
   - Synchrony
   - Stimulation
   - Support
   - Reciprocity
2. Characteristics of the child
   - Goodness of fit
3. Risks of insensitivity
4. Ecological context
5. Culture
6. Discruptions in bonding
   - Adoption
   - Premature birth
   - Abuse

Question 24

Fathers and attachments