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Social work 2090 > attachment theory > Flashcards

attachment theory Flashcards

1
Q

attachment theory (developed by Ainsworth and Bowlby in the 1970s) identified…

A

the idea of development of social relationships, and how the type of attachment would influence relationships in later life

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2
Q

Attachment theory is rooted in

A

object relations theory

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3
Q

basic assumption of object relations theory

A

all people naturally seek relationshps with other people

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4
Q

internal working model (coined by Bowbly)

A
  • are frameworks of thoughts, feelings, plans, goals that allow us to make sense of our relationships with others and the world around us
  • developed over time with “millions of experiences”
  • schemas
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5
Q

IWM helps to (3)

A

1) make sense of others behaviour
2) make predictions regarding future behaviours
3) facilitate the organization of the individual’s response

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6
Q

*4 main components of Attachment Behavioural System (Bowlby, 1982)

A

1) Our attachment figure is our secure base
2) As infants, we seek proximity* and support from a secure base* in times of need
3) We use our secure base as a safe haven to explore new experiences
4) We experience distress as a separation protest when attachment figure becomes unavailable to us

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7
Q

Positive interaction cycle:

A

Self worth/self esteem is reinforced through ->

positive parent/child interactions ->

child responds positively ->

positive response maintains or increases feelings of self worth and self esteem->….

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8
Q

Requirements of developing a secure base (as per Bowlby)

A

** to have a secure base/attachment in life, it’s the repetitive nature of positive interactions which contribute to a positive internal working model ** - Bowlby

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9
Q

Parental behaviours necessary to develop a secure attachment

A
  • sensitive
  • responsive
  • accepting
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10
Q

Attachment styles

A

1) secure
2) insecure-avoidant
3) insecure-ambivalent (or anxious-ambivalent)
4) disorganized
5) non-attached

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11
Q

Secure attachment style

A
  • Experience is that caregiver is accessible and responsible
  • Child responds positively to caregiver upon reunification – after separation
  • Actively seek out interactions (relationships) with others
  • Readily accepts comfort if distressed
  • Display few negative behaviours towards their caregivers
  • Balance of a secure base and haven of safety

Outcomes:
• Working model of self is “worthy and competent”. Working model of others is “responsible and dependable”.

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12
Q

Insecure-Avoidant

A

• Experience that caregiver is rejecting

  • Show little stress upon separation
  • Do not seek affection upon reunification
  • Show little preference for their primary caregiver over strangers
  • The child’s reaction to separation and reunification helps the child maintain proximity to their parent without risking rejection

Outcomes:
• Working model of self as “alone or unwanted” and working model of others as “rejecting and untrustworthy”

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13
Q

Insecure-ambivalent/anxious-ambivalent

A

• Experience parents as being unpredictable or inconsistent in their responses (not overly rejecting)

  • High level of stress both upon separation and when their primary caregivers are present
  • Upon reunification, children demonstrate angry resistance – seeking out their caregivers, but then pushing them away
  • Ambivalent-resistant children may appear more attached, by becoming alarmed by the presence of a stranger or appearing helpless/distressed if caregiver leaves
  • These children are unsure whether the caregiver will be responsive, may be at risk for separation anxiety, tend to be preoccupied with caregiver’s availability and may be clingy/dependent
  • The child fears potential abandonment and will maximize efforts to maintain close parental attachments by becoming hypervigilant for any signs of threat or rejection

Outcome:
o Working models of self whose “worthiness of attention” is questionable, working models of others as being “questionable” (untrusting?)

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14
Q

Disorganized attachment

A
  • Experience parents as being frightening (associated with abuse)
  • Diverse contradictory behaviours including strong proximity-seeking behaviour followed by avoidance, general expressions of fear, some disorientation/confusion and apprehension upon caregivers return
  • Disorganized responses are attempts to gain some sense of security from parents that are unpredictable
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15
Q

Non-attached

A

• Associated with war-traumatized or orphaned children

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16
Q

Benefits of secure attachment: (7)

A
  • Attain full intellectual/cognitive potential
  • Sort of perceptions
  • Think logically
  • Become self-reliant
  • Handle fear and worry
  • Develop future relationships
  • Cope with stress and frustration
17
Q

Lack of attachment associated with challenges in: (7)

A
  • Conscience development
  • Impulse control/behaviour
  • Self-esteem
  • Interpersonal interactions
  • Emotional expression
  • Cognitive skills
  • Personal/social development
18
Q

Attachment disturbance results from… (3)

A

1) Parental behaviours
2) Vulnerabilities
3) disruption or loss

19
Q

1) Parental behaviours (sensitive/insensitive, responsive/unresponsive, accepting/rejecting)

A
  • Failure to consistently respond to child
  • If child does not experience discomfort (developmental delay)
  • If caregiver over-anticipates child’s needs (helicopter parent)
  • If caregiver is unable to relieve child’s discomfort
20
Q

2) Parental vulnerabilities

A
  • Grief or unresolved trauma
  • Caregiver’s absence of security/safety
  • Caregiver depression
  • Substance abuse
21
Q

3) Loss and Disruption

A
  • Parental Death
  • Child’s hospitalization
  • Loss of parental contact
  • Out of home placement
22
Q

Common Behaviour in Parent Attachment Disturbance:

A

o Attribute negative intentionality to infant
o Punish infant for not meeting expectations
• Treatment requires that move beyond parental psychopathology and focus on improving interaction between parent and child

23
Q

Parent-child attachment enhanced by:

A
  • parent’s positive feeling towards the child
  • demonstrated concern for the child’s well-being
  • parent’s capacity to empathize with the child’s perspective of experience
  • parent’s ability to respect the child’s needs and give them priority over their own wishes/needs
24
Q

Themes of Attachment (4)

A

1) attachment has a biological/physiological base (amygdala under stress and the child’s capability to self soothe)
2) attachment is universal
3) attachment is intergenerationally transmitted
4) parental/caregiver problems are better predictors of attachment relationships than infant difficulties

25
Q

Attachment theory critique

A

o Inconsistent empirical support
o *Attachment style/level of attachment is difficult to measure
o Focus on mothers as caregivers attributes blame and causality to mothers
o Attachment needs to extend beyond dyadic relationships to include social factors
o *Neckoway et al. (2007) argue that attachment theory needs to be culturally sensitive and recognize different parenting arrangements (shared parenting in many aboriginal communities)

26
Q

Resilience definition (rooted in field of developmental psychopathology)

A
  • Human capacity to deal with crises, stressors, and normal experiences in an emotionally and physically healthy way (Barker, 2003) e.g.: a child who develops healthy relationships with other relatives in the face of parental neglect
  • Normal development under difficult conditions
27
Q

adversity definition

A

• Life events or circumstances which pose a threat to healthy development

28
Q

Vulnerability definition

A

• Characteristics of the child, the family and the wider community which may threaten healthy development

29
Q

Protective environment: eludes to

A

• Factors in the environment that are protective

30
Q

Protective factors are:

A
  • variables that reduce chances of negative outcomes in the presence of risk.
  • E.g.: individual characteristics, child’s interaction with environment, school-home relations, quality of school
31
Q

Outcomes of protective factors:

A

o Directly decrease dysfunction
o Buffer effects of risk factors
o Disrupts the trajectory which leads to psychopathology [mental disorders – genetic, biological, psychological and social causes]
o Prevent initial occurrence of risk

32
Q

Risk factors:

A

o No single risk factor, or combination or risk factors, including parental divorce, abuse and neglect, or poverty, guarantees poor developmental outcomes
o Poor outcomes generally occur under two conditions: presence of risk factors and the absence of protective factors

33
Q

Vulnerability: individual factors

A 
o	Developmental delay, pre-maturity
o	Poor attachment experiences
o	Learning difficulties
o	Lack of social skills
o	Behaviour problems
34
Q

Vulnerability: Parental/Family factors

A

o Mental health issues or cognitive impairment
o Domestic violence
o Lack of knowledge re: healthy child development
o Drug/alcohol use
o Racism

35
Q

Risk factors for psychopathology [mental disorders]

A

o Biological/genetic factors: disability, peri-natal complications
o Delays in skill development: work habits, reading, social skills
o Emotional difficulties
o Family circumstances
o Interpersonal problems

36
Q

Parental factors:

A

o Parental mental illness significantly increases risk of psychiatric disorders within children

37
Q

Parental mental illness:

A
  • o Most research focuses on maternal depression

o Children of parents diagnosed with bipolar or schizophrenia are at greater risk of developing mental disorder

38
Q

Vulnerability: Community factors

A 
o	Absence of extended family support
o	Poor housing
o	Under or unemployment
o	Poverty
o	Lack of social support
o	Lack of early intervention services
o	Racism
o	Conflicts with support system
39
Q

Protective factors :

A

o Often located within families, neighborhoods and schools – yet are often overlooked in assessment of human behaviour problems
o It is the individual/family perceptions of assets as protective, and not exclusively the professionals

Social work 2090 (7 decks)

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