1 / 25

Chapter 14 Attachment and Social Relationships

Chapter 14 Attachment and Social Relationships. Attachment. The case of “Baby Jessica” Children are resilient Negative early experiences rarely ruin them for life Close relationships provide Learning experiences Social support (social convoy). Attachment Theory.

hall-clayton
Download Presentation

Chapter 14 Attachment and Social Relationships

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 14Attachment and Social Relationships

  2. Attachment • The case of “Baby Jessica” • Children are resilient • Negative early experiences rarely ruin them for life • Close relationships provide • Learning experiences • Social support (social convoy)

  3. Attachment Theory • Bowlby: A strong affectional tie that binds a person to an intimate companion • Helps regulate distress by proximity seeking • By about 6-7 months • Ainsworth: special, irreplaceable people • Desire to maintain proximity • Derive a sense of security • Bowlby: normal environment important

  4. Ethology • Konrad Lorenz: Imprinting • Critical period • Irreversible • Humans: Attachment • Sensitive period • Predisposed

  5. Figure 14.2

  6. Childhood Peers • Important for social development • Piaget: equal power among peers • Requires cooperation, negotiation skills • Sullivan: Peers important after age 6 • Changing interpersonal needs • Harris: Parental influence is overrated • Peers more important for development

  7. Emotions in Infancy • Timing of emotions biologically programmed • Tied to cognitive maturation • Evolved to ensure that caregivers respond • Social referencing by 10-12 months • monitor reactions in others to help define situation, regulate behavior and emotions • Modeling, imitation, reinforcement

  8. Figure 14.1

  9. Caregiver’s Attachment to Infant • Early contact not crucial nor sufficient • Neonatal reflexes endearing: e.g., smiling • Cooing and babbling: early conversations • Synchronized routines • Peek-A-Boo • Sensitive responding a must • Over-stimulation/under-stimulation

  10. Infant’s Attachment to Caregiver • Social responsiveness • At birth: undiscriminating • 2-6 mo: preferences develop • Proximity seeking • 6 mo to 3 yr • Attachment figures • Mental representation abilities needed

  11. Attachment-Related Fears • Separation anxiety: 6-8 mo • Peaks around 14-18 mo • Gradually wanes • Stranger anxiety: 8-10 mo • Declines during 2nd yr • Ainsworth: secure base for exploration

  12. Quality of Attachment • Caregiver provides “contact comfort” • Ainsworth: Strange Situation Test • Secure attachment: most • Insecure attachment categories • Inconsistent care > resistant • Insensitive stimulation > avoidant • Rejection, impatient, resentful • Intrusive • Abusive > disorganized/disoriented

  13. Infant Characteristics • Must acquire person permanence • Temperament a factor • Reaction to parenting style • *Goodness of fit

  14. Context of Attachment • Culture • Individualistic: encourage independence • e.g., Japan • resistant • Collectivist: encourage group conformity • e.g., Western • avoidant

  15. Effects of Social Deprivation • Infants grieve when separated from caregiver • Recover when reunited or upon forming new attachments • A series of separations more harmful • Romanian orphans • Insecure, anxious • Difficulty coping with stress • Need sustained interaction with responsive caregivers – one or a few

  16. Later Outcomes • Securely attached child • Cognitively and socially competent • Expect positive reactions • Insecurely attached child • Withdrawn, dependent, fearful • Less competent • Patterns last through adolescence

  17. Conclusions • Attachment to fathers, grandparents, etc. • Can compensate for poor attachment • Secure attachments may change • Stressful events: divorce, illness • Insecure attachments may change • Lifestyle improvements • Later relationships influenced by nature of early attachment

  18. Peer Relations • 18 mo: first peers • Turn taking • Reciprocal play • Age 2-12: increasing time spent • Same sex peers • Similar age and play preferences

  19. Play • Age 1-2: Pretend play • Age 2-5: Social play • Age 5-6: Rule-based games • By age 11-2: Rule flexibility • Play is beneficial • Cognitive development • Social skills

  20. Peer Acceptance • Sociometric techniques • Most popular kids • Attractive, intelligent • Socially competent • Rejected kids • Highly aggressive • Socially isolated, overly sensitive, submissive

  21. Adolescents • Parents still important • Boy-girl friendships and dates • Dating: Dunphy’s phases • Initiation; Status; Affection; Bonding • Friendships: More intimacy • Friends similar psychologically • Cliques and crowds • Increased conformity

  22. Figure 14.6

  23. The Adult • Social networks shrink • Closer to family • Romantic attachments • Adult friendships valued • Important to have one confidant

More Related