ATTACHMENT 1 Flashcards
(47 cards)
What is Bowlby’s Attachment Theory?
Children are biologically predisposed to develop an attachment bond to caregivers as a means of increasing chances of their survival
Made to understand why orphans from World war were still in distress (despite having all physical needs met)
According to Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, Attachment experiences form the basis of…
personality,
emotion regulation,
self- esteem
What are the main four features of Bowlby’s Attachment Theory?
- Proximity seeking and maintenance
- Separation distress
- Safe haven
- Secure base
Is Bowlby’s Attachment system activated at all times?
No
It is activated in response to separation from a care giver (or perception of threat: ex. child gets hurt)
(get separation distress)
(try find care giver) proximity seeking
(if care giver comes back, they will sooth) Safe haven
(if child feels safe /secure, adult is a safe space when they go and adventure)
(use picture / diagram)
According to Bowlby’s Attachment theory, what do children’s attachments depend on?
Development and quality of child’s attachments are highly dependent on their experiences with caregivers
What is “The Strange Situation” study on attachment styles?
- Paradigm designed to systematically assess children’s attachment to a specific caregiver (the first!)
- Caregiver and child play in a room together
Examines how children react to:
* Separations from caregiver
* Reunions with caregiver
* Meeting a strange
Attachment Styles in the Strange Situation
What is Secure?
60%; Child distressed when parent left, but able to be soothed by stranger and seeks comfort upon reunion with parent; explores the room when parent is present
Attachment Styles in the Strange Situation
What is Avoidant?
15%; Child does not display signs of distress upon separation
from parent, plays by themselves, and disinterested in parent upon reunion
(very unusual if 12 month old if chilling when no parent)
Attachment Styles in the Strange Situation
What is Anxious/ambivalent?
(also called resistant)
10%; Child extremely distressed upon separation, not soothed by stranger, but takes a long time to be soothed upon reunion with parent/resists parent’s attempt to soothe; stays close to parent when parent is in the room and doesn’t explore much
Attachment Styles in the Strange Situation
What is Disorganized?
15%; Behaviour is contradictory. Seems to want to approach parent but also sees them as a source of fear. Frequently appear dazed and dissociated
Why might these kids behave so differently?
Way their parents behave
How do parents of Securely Attached Children act?
What does the child learn?
Parents’ behaviour:
* Generally supportive/sensitive to child’s needs
* Affectionate and expresses frequent positive emotions towards child
* Fosters autonomy and exploration
Child learns that:
* Proximity seeking is a good strategy to soothe distress / to have needs met
How do parents of Avoidantly Attached Children act?
What does the child learn?
Parent’s behaviour:
* CONSISTENTLY insensitive to the child’s signals
* Avoids close contact or rejects child’s bids for contact
* May be angry or impatient
* Discourages displays of emotion
OR parent is consistently over-bearing and intrusive
Child learns that:
* Proximity seeking is not a good strategy to soothe distress / to have needs met
- Consistently not meeting needs!!!
How do Avoidantly Attached Children react when faced with caregiver is unavailable and proximity is not a viable option?
(when they have learned proximity seeking is not a good strategy to soothe distress / to have needs met)
Deactivation of attachment system
- Attention diverted away from threat
- Avoid proximity of caregiver when distressed
- Cope with distress by suppressing it or avoiding situations that elicit distress
Avoidantly Attached Children look like they aren’t upset no matter the situation
When hooked up to physiological tests, are Avoidantly Attached Children actually not stressed?
In just as much distress as securely attached children
(higher heart rate, sweat, cortisol)
How do parents of Anxiously Attached Children act?
What does the child learn?
Parents’ behaviour:
* INCONSISTENT in reacting to child’s distress, sometimes soothing and attentive
and other times insensitive
Child learns that:
* Proximity is sometimes a good strategy to soothe distress, but not always
How do Anxiously Attached Children react when faced with caregiver is unavailable and proximity might be a viable option?
(When they have learned Proximity is sometimes a good strategy to soothe distress but not always)
Hyperactivation of attachment system
* Hypervigilance to threat and exaggerated perceptions of threat
* Excessive proximity-seeking of caregiver when distressed
* Cope with distress by heightening it (distress response) ( EX: being more clingy, throw a tantrum)
How do parents of disorganized Attached Children act?
What does the child learn?
Parents’ behaviour:
* Frightens the child
* May be harsh or abusive
* Often struggle with severe mental health issues
Child learns that:
* Proximity seeking often results in feeling scared
* Caregiver is extremely unpredictable and cannot be trusted
(draw to you, but also pushed away - can’t resolve this emotional conflict)
Sarah is a young child whose primary caregiver is often inconsistent in responding to her emotional needs.
Sometimes her caregiver is nurturing, but other times they are dismissive. Based on this caregiving history, which attachment style is Sarah most likely to develop?
a. Secure
b. Anxious
c. Avoidant
d. Disorganized
Anxious
Other Factors Influencing Attachment
- Infant’s temperament
Biological basis for personality
Infant’s vary in sensitivity and how easy they are to soothe
* Infant’s that are more sensitive are more likely to develop anxious attachment
* Those that are less sensitive are more likely to develop secure or avoidant
attachment
Other Factors Influencing Attachment
- Socialization of gender role
Males are more likely to develop avoidant (vs. anxious) attachment (men told not to express emotions)
- Females more likely to develop anxious (vs. avoidant) attachment
Other Factors Influencing Attachment
- Safety vs. danger of environment
More likely to develop an insecure attachment when growing up in more dangerous environment
Is attachment relevant in adulthood?
Attachment relationships have similar functions in adulthood as they
do in childhood
* Proximity seeking/maintenance, separation distress, safe haven, secure base
When do we most see attachment in adulthood?
Romantic partners are most common attachment figures in adults
- Best friends too
