3. Attachment Flashcards
(37 cards)
Attachment
A close emotional bond shared by two people
Quality of attachment is inked to emotional, cognitive and social development
Bowlby - Emotional Attachment
strong, affectionate ties to certain people in our lives
Reciprocal relationships
affection and attachment goes both ways e.g. parents to child and child to parent
Interactional synchrony - Synchronized Routines
Routines established between caregivers & infants over the first few months that contribute to the growth of attachment
- Routine smoothens over time, becoming more satisfying for both parties
Attachment Phases
Asocial phase
Phase of indiscriminate attachments
Specific attachment phase
Phase of multiple attachments
Attachment phases - asocial phase
Birth to 6 weeks
2. Social and nonsocial stimuli produce equal positive effects/reactions
3. End of period - preference for social stimuli
Attachment phases - indiscriminate attachments
6 weeks to 6/7 months
Infants enjoy human company
Protest at being put down
3-6 prefer regular caregiver but love attention from all adults, even strangers
More quickly soothed by a regular caregiver
Attachment phases - specific attachment
7-9 months
First genuine attachments formed
Show preference for certain caregivers, usually the mother
Only protest separation from this/these specific caregiver(s)
Wariness of strangers
Formation of secure attachment is crucial at this stage
Secure base
A point of safety from which the infant feels free to venture away from
Have to keep checking back
Attachment phases - multiple attachments
9-18 months
Develop close attachments to people other than mothers e.g. fathers, siblings, grandparents, regular babysitters etc.
The Strange Situation
Infant is exposed to 8 different separation & reunion situations, reaction helps determine attachment
Attachment Q-set
Observations of a child’s attachment-related behaviours at home from the ages 1 to 5
- Scale from most to least
- 80 cards with descriptions of behaviour, caregiver ranks these cards
Secure attachment
65% of 1 year olds
The caregiver is seen as a secure base from which the child can explore the environment
Mild anxiety when separated, happiness upon reunion
Insecure avoidant
25% of 1 year olds
No distress at separation, little reaction upon reunion
More sociable with strangers
Insecure resitant
10% of 1 year olds
Very little exploration of environment with or without caregiver
Distress at separation, push caregiver away upon reunion
Insecure disorganized
5% of 1 year olds
Dazed, confused & fearful
Both avoidant & resistant patterns can be seen
*Bowlby’s Ethological Theory
4 phases
Same as other attachment phases
Same theory?
*Learning Theory
Infants become attached to people who feed them & gratify their needs
I love you because you reward me
*Cognitive-developmental Theory
Ability to form attachments depends on infants level of cog development
To love you i must know you will always be there
Must be able to distinguish between acquaintances & strangers
Stranger anxiety
A wary or fretful reaction displayed when approached by a stranger
Peaks at 8-10 months
Separation anxiety
A wary or fretful reaction displayed when separated from person they are attached to
Peaks at 14-18 months
Decline in 2nd year:
Intellectual maturity & independence
Object permanence - they’re still there
Caregivers of securely attached babies
Sensitive to babies’ signals
Show consistent availability to respond to babies’ needs
Give babies an active role in how much they interact in the first year
Link to maternal sensitivity responding at 6 months
Caregivers of insecure avoidant babies
Unavailable or reject baby
No response to babies’ signals
Lack of physical contact
Angry & irritable behaviour towards baby
Caregivers of insecurely resistant babies
Inconsistent response - sometimes responding to babies’ needs or signals, sometimes not
Lack of affection
Lack of synchrony
