Attachment and Temperament

1. Attachment and Temperament Class 8

2. The Emotional Meaning of Separation

3. Anger and Separation: John Bowlby Separated kids are more aggressive Doll play-acting: Separated kids show 4 X more angry behavior Sep. kids more likely to attack "parent dolls" Upon return home, aggressive play ends 1907-1990

4. Functions of Anger Parental Separation Anger and Anxiety aroused in kids by same event: Kids have implicit belief--when afraid, parent should be there. Anger after separation is adaptive. Why? Overcome obstacles to ruinion Discourages loved one from being away at critical times. Anger can promote bonds * Parental anger at kid's dangerous action * Alpha Baboon and wandering troupe members

5. Dysunctions of Anger When CAN anger be dysfunctional? Weakens rather than reinforces bonds When purpose shifts from bonding to revenge When DOES anger be dysfunctional? Repeated abandonment

6. Strange Situation, Mary Ainsworth • Mom and baby go into a room, baby plays and mom just sits there.  2. Stranger comes in and shares room with mom and baby.  3. Mom leaves, baby left with stranger  4. Mom returns, reunites with baby How does baby respond to mom’s return?

7. Attachment Styles Identified Through Strange Situation  1. Securely Attached (65%): Upset when mom leaves, OK when mom returns. 2. Ambivalently Attached (15%): Wants reunion with mom, but also shows angerand resentment. 3. Avoidant (20%): Makes no attempt to reconnect with mom

8. Parental Behaviors Related to Attachment Style 1. Responsivity: Quick and consistent 2. General Maternal Sensitivity: interpret signals, respect autonomy, accepting manner, accessible, being tender. 3. Synchronization: Keeping in tune and in time with baby’s emotions and interests.

9. Attachment Styles and Emotional Range Secures: Show full emotional range: Mom’s acknowledge all emotions  Ambivalents: Favor negative emotions: Mom’s selectively responsive to negative emotions. Avoidants: Show little emotions of any kind: Learned that own emotions won’t get maternal response. But they are physiologically aroused.

10. Internal Working Models  Early attachment experiences shape expectancies that shape adult personality.  1. Secures: Believe others can be trusted, form secure bonds 2. Avoidants: Believe others won’t be there for them. Less able to form secure bonds in adulthood.

11. Relation Between Attachment as Infant and Attachment as Adult Strange Situation Result as Infant Secure Ambivalent Avoidant 29 9 12 Attachment as Adult Secure 20 3 2 Preoccupied (Ambiv.) 3 4 2 Dismissing (Avoid.) 6 2 8

12. Insecure Attachment Styles and Emotional Illness in Adulthood Poor emotion management skills: Insecures overwhelmed by negative emotions. Parent didn’t respond to negative reactions—so small things became big things Didn’t teach kid how to translate feelings into thoughts and actions. General Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Emotion management problems of Insecures contribute to GAD. GAD is excessive worry about everyday kinds of problems. Panic attacks – molehills  mountains  avalanches Social Phobia – fear of being with others. Agoraphobia – fear of being in open places

13. Attachment and Emotional Management Skills Emotion Management a. Being able to identify own emotions b. Being able to relate emotions to causes c. “calibrate” emotions to situation d. Regulate emotions.

14. Parents’ Role in Emotion Management a. Parent steps in when emotions arise, calms situation. • Parental responsiveness stops minor emotions from going out of control. • Kid learns not to fear own emotions. FDR “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”. • Kid learns to control own emotions. Like learning to ride bike, and getting confidence in braking. No confidence, then even small downhill (neg. emotion) becomes terrifying.

15. Change in Responsiveness to Vocalizing vs. Crying

16. Responsivity and Social Competence: Which Model is Right? Model A Model B X Responsivity Responsivity

17. Teaching Kids How to Think About Emotions Meta-cognition: How to think about thinking, or how to think about feeling. Kids taught to think about feeling, and in managing feelings:   a. Less stressed   b. Less negative emotions in play with others   c. Better school achievement   d. Fewer behavior problems.

18. Anything Strange about Strange Situation? Mom leaves kid. Kid acts unconcerned Mom returns to kid. Kid still unconcerned Insecure/avoidant: mom messed up Attachment explanation? Alternative explanation? Kid was born that way, Temperament

19. Temperament Aspects of behavior and emotion that are: 1. Constitutional (in-born, genetic) 2. Stable across time and situations 3. Neurophysiologically based

20. Temperament and Emotions Temperament Aspect Emotionality Sociability Impulsivity Smiling/laughing Fear Bothered by limitations Soothability  This Emotion Fear, anger, distress Pos. emotions to others Time to express emotion Happiness, pleasure Fear Anger Recovery from neg. emot.

21. How Stable is Temperament? In early infancy – Correl. 6 mos. To 9 mos. Smiling, Laughter: r = .48 Fear: r = .37 Distress re. Limits (Anger): r = .51 Easy/Diff. At: 3 yrs 4 yrs 5 Yrs Easy/difficult as an adultr = .31 r = .37 r =.15

22. Is Temperament Genetic? How would this be tested? With what kind of population? Twins Monozygotic (MZ) Share all genes: identical Dizygotic (DZ) Share half genes: Not identical

23. Pictures of DZ Twins

24. Results of Twin Studies and Temperament (Metheny, et al., 1981) 6 mos 2 yrs MZ DZ MZ DZ Hurt Feelings NA NA .37 .13 Tantrums .39 .26 .41 .15 Irritability .45 .29 .46 .28 Crying .62 .51 .59 .39

25. Temperament and Strange Situation Temperament may explain Strange Situation Irritable newborns insecurely attached Neurophysio-reactive  ambivalent Interest in objects vs. people  avoidant Interactive explanation Parents respond to newborns temperament Parent either flexible or inflexible to baby temp. Baby’s emotional profile reflects “goodness of fit”