Exam #2 Attachement Flashcards
Freud - early thoughts
feeding
- mom satisfies baby’s oral needs
- first relationship is a model for others
- children just need basic “animal” needs to be met
behaviorism
- baby is hungry → hungry drive is satisfied → baby becomes conditioned to associate mother with food
- positive associations lead to attachment
- cuddling = coddling
Harry Harlow - monkey study
Feeding is not sufficient - “creature comfort”
Raised monkeys in different scenarios with different mother replacements
Raised monkeys without mothers or other monkeys = maladjusted socially throughout their lives
Secure base - when baby monkies were scared they run to their mother to be comfortable
Only hungry drove the baby monkies to switch from terry cloth mother to wired mother with food
Without the terry cloth mother the monkey is stressed and scared with it they were more normal
ethology - Lorenz
- study of animal behavior and its adaptive functions
- imprinting → innate signaling mechanism elicits behavior ex. ducks and geese follow first large object they see
- human attachment is not as simple but its adaptive
- biological mechanisms → hormone activation = oxytocin makes female animals more motherly
ethological theory
Ethology: attachment is adaptive
Psychoanalysis: attachment provides model for future relationships
stranger anxiety
fear of unfamiliar adults, peaks at 8-10 months
separation anxiety + greetings
don’t want a caregiver to leave, peaks at 14-20 months
excited to see caregiver when he/she returns
secure base behavior + social referencing
using caregiver as a “base of operations”
looking to others when unsure
Bowlby attachment phase: pre-attachment (birth - 6 weeks)
infants’ innate signals (ex crying) bring people to them
Bowlby attachment phase: attachment-in-the-making (6 weeks to 6-8 months)
preference for familiar people
Bowlby attachment phase: clear-cut attachment (6-8 months to 1 1/2 years)
infants actively seek contact with caregivers
separation anxiety
secure base for exploration
Bowlby attachment phase: reciprocal relationships (1 1/2 years on)
infants make organized efforts to be near their parents
decrease in separation anxiety
Bowlby attachment phase: internal working model of attachment
outcome of attachment phases
mental representation of self in context of others
Mary Ainsworth’s research
Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment
Put children in an unfamiliar context likely to heighten a child’s need for a parent
Observers rated children on a behavioral scale
secure (50-60%)
Explore freely in the caregiver’s presence
Often visibly upset when the caregiver leaves
Greet caregiver warmly at the reunion
Parents - respond readily to their children’s signals