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Attachment overheads. Class Notes. Attachment. Theories of John Bowlby Parent-child relationship What happens when children are raised in relative states of maternal separation? Films – institutionalized children staying in hospital wards. Three-phase separation behaviors resulted.
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Attachment overheads Class Notes
Attachment • Theories of John Bowlby • Parent-child relationship • What happens when children are raised in relative states of maternal separation? • Films – institutionalized children staying in hospital wards. • Three-phase separation behaviors resulted.
Attachment • Issue: universality of stages. • Stages: • Stage one: Protest • Stage two: Despair • Stage three: Detachment
Attachment • Bowlby felt that the mother-child bond was adaptive – important for survival. • Bowlby was very influenced by Karl Lorenz and his work on imprinting – innateness and adaptiveness of behaviors. • Bowlby felt that attachment was innate on the part of the infant and caregiver.
Attachment • Certain behaviors connected with attachment. • Critical or sensitive period for the development of attachment. • Monotrophy – main attachment figure. • Model for future relationships.
Attachment • Mary Ainsworth – conditions that activate children’s attachment systems. • Strange situation – baby in an unfamiliar room with a stranger.
Attachment • Eight episodes measured four behaviors. • Willingness to explore • Separation anxiety • Stranger anxiety • Reunion Behavior
Attachment Definition of attachment – put slide up here.
Attachment • Infant Characteristics that promote Attachment: • “kewpie doll” appearance • Rooting, sucking, grasping reflexes • Cooing, babbling • Smiling • Crying • Responsiveness to social overtures
Attachment • Infant Characteristics that make attachment difficult • Physically unattractive (e.g.) premature • Reflexes weak • Irritable, few smiles • Little pleasant vocalization • Irritating shrill • Easily over stimulated, resists or ignores social overtures.
Attachment • Caregiver characteristics that hinder attachment • Maternal depression • Abused mother • Mother does not want baby • Mother unable to take lead in establishing interactions • Mother insensitive to infant cues and may under or overstimulate child.
Attachment • Several children in family • Poor marital relationship.
Attachment • Schaffer and Emerson Stages in Social Attachment • Asocial stage – 0-6 weeks • Indiscriminate attachment stage – 6 wks to 6-7 months • Specific attachment stage – 7-9 months • Multiple attachment stage – shortly after stage 3
Attachment • Theories of attachment: • Psychoanalytical Theory • Learning Theory • Ethological Theory
Attachment • What does the research say about attachment?
Attachment • Types of Attachment • Secure Attachment • Insecure Attachment (anxious / resistant) • Insecure Attachment (anxious / avoidant) • Insecure Attachment (disorganized / disoriented)
Attachment • Ainsworth’s Caregiving Hypothesis • Quality of attachment dependent on attention, responsiveness, sensitivity. • Inconsistent caregiving leads to insecure attachment (anxious / resistant) • Impatient caregiving leads to anxious and avoidant attachment. • Abusive caregiving leads to disorganized / disoriented attachment.
Attachment • Kagan’s Temperament Hypothesis • Quality of infant’s attachment dependent upon: • Easy temperment = secure attachment • Difficult temperment = insecure (anx/res) • Slow to warm up temperment = insecure (anx / avoidant) • Research evidence?
Attachment • Symptoms of a reactive attachment disorder – see handout on the website. • What can we do to help? • Provide highly predictable environment. • Avoid intimacy too soon. • Holding therapy? • Failure to thrive cases. • Reparenting work.