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Attachment Theory

Attachment Theory. “Attachment Theory holds that humans are essentially social animals that need relationships for survival” (Bowlby) Protection from danger, care and nourishment Reproduction

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Attachment Theory

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  1. Attachment Theory • “Attachment Theory holds that humans are essentially social animals that need relationships for survival” (Bowlby) • Protection from danger, care and nourishment • Reproduction • “Attachment is a lifelong inter-personal strategy to respond to threat/danger. (Crittenden 2000)

  2. Attachment Behavior • Attachment Behaviour gets, and keeps the child close to their carer • Signaling - eye contact, smiling, vocalizing • Aversive behaviors (noisy) - crying, shouting • Active behaviors - following • Inhibiting attachment behaviour • Triggered by situations of anxiety and distress

  3. Attachment Theory • A secure attachment develops when the parent/carer is able to become attuned to the child’s need and to respond and interact in ways which are: • Sensitive • Regularly available and reliable • Warm • Responsive • Consistent • Leading to the development of a “Secure Base”

  4. How attachment relationships develop • If carer can provide timely, predictable and appropriate responses the child can begin to recognise patterns • Combination of affect (feeling) cognition (thought) • Child feels cared for and understood – begins to predict and influence their world • Influences the physiological development of brain

  5. Secure Base Feel Frightened Overwhelmed Resilience Explore, Play, Learn Develop Autonomy

  6. Internal Working Model • As we get older we internalize our attachment experiences – Internal Working Model • IWM contains belief and expectations about: • Our’s and other’s behaviour, • The lovability and worthiness of the self, • The emotional availability and interest of others, and their ability to provide protection • We apply IWMs to future relationships Self –› loved, effective, autonomous, competent +others –› available, cooperative and dependable = SECURE ATTACHMENT

  7. Secure/balanced (B) Attachment • Autonomy, competence – self esteem • Reflective capacity – awareness of others • Problem Solving Skills • Interdependent • Resilient

  8. Anxious Attachments • If children feel insecure, attachment behaviour is triggered in order to gain proximity to parent/carer. • If attachment behavior does not bring the child close to their carer, they need to develop an alternative strategy. • Research has identified 4 main attachment categories. • Pat Crittenden has suggested that children organize their behaviour around two strategies (with many variations)

  9. Attachment across the lifecycle • Attachment relationships begin to develop before birth and continue throughout our lives • They influence how we process information – make sense of the world • They influence our understanding and expectations of relationships (through out our lives) • Having a child brings your attachment experience to the surface – Parent/Carer’s attachment strategy influences process of attachment/attunement

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