basics

Question 1

stages of attachment-

Answer 1

Schaffer & Emerson (1964)
*Asocial (0-6 wks).
* Indiscriminate attachments(6 wks–6/7 mths).
*Specific attachments (7-9 mths).
*Attachment
*Separation protest
*Stranger anxiety
* Around age of developing object
permanence.
*Multiple attachments (9 mths+)

Question 2

The psychoanalytic theory of attachment

Answer 2

1. Psychoanalytical theory (Freud)
   *Attachment based on feeding
   Sigmund Freud believed that babies form attachments to their caregivers (usually mothers) because they associate the mother with feeding (satisfaction of basic needs like hunger).

In this view, the infant becomes attached to the person who provides food, because feeding brings pleasure and comfort.

Harlow & Zimmerman (1958)
*Motherless infant monkeys
*Reared by 2 surrogates
*Fed by wire mother
*15+ hrs/day on cloth mother
*1 hr on wire mother
*Fear = go to cloth mother

Even though the wire mother provided food, the baby monkeys:

Spent only about 1 hour per day with the wire mother.

Spent 15+ hours a day clinging to the cloth mother.

When they were scared or stressed, they ran to the cloth mother for comfort—not the one that fed them.

means- Comfort, warmth, and a sense of safety were more important for attachment than feeding alone.

Question 3

Ethological theory of attachment

Answer 3

Ethological Theory of Attachment (Bowlby, 1969)
The ethological perspective is rooted in biology and evolution. It suggests that attachment is an innate, adaptive behavior that evolved to increase the survival chances of infants.

👶 Core Ideas:
1. Attachment is biologically programmed
Babies are born with behaviors (crying, smiling, clinging) that trigger caregiving in adults.

These behaviors help form a bond with a caregiver—usually the mother or primary attachment figure.

2. Sensitive period
   There’s a critical or sensitive period in early life (about the first 2 years) where attachment must form.

If no consistent caregiver is present, it can lead to long-term emotional and social issues.

3. Secure base
   A securely attached caregiver acts as a “secure base” from which a child can explore the world.

The caregiver is seen as a source of safety and comfort, especially in times of stress or fear.

4. Internal Working Model
   Early attachment experiences form an internal template (or “working model”) for future relationships.

A child who experiences love and responsiveness learns to expect the same in later relationships

Question 4

The security theory of attachment

Answer 4

Security Theory (Mary Ainsworth)
Attachment forms based on:

Sensitivity (how well a caregiver notices and understands the baby’s needs)

Responsiveness (how appropriately and consistently the caregiver responds)

Secure attachment encourages the child’s exploratory behaviour – they feel safe to explore knowing they can return to the caregiver for comfort.

De Wolff & van IJzendoorn (1997): Sensitivity explains 23% of differences in attachment styles.

-Strange Situation (Ainsworth et al., 1978):
-Lab test with 8 episodes, each lasting 3 minutes.
-Child and mother are separated and reunited several times.
-Used to assess type and quality of attachment (e.g. secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant)

Question 5

Typology of attachments-

Answer 5

secure- parent is sensitive, encourages exploration- child uses secure base/ separation distress/ comfort of reunion

avoidant- parent is unresponsive or overstimulates= low separation distress and avoids mother on return

anxious/resistant= parent is inconsistent= clings, fear of strangers, ambivalent on mothers return

disorganised (added Ainsworth later on)= parent is frightening, neglectful or abusive= contradiction/ dissociative behaviour (freezing, bizarre abnormal movements.

Question 6

5 marker Describe different attachment classifications used in childhood and adulthood.

Answer 6

Attachment classifications describe the patterns of relationships formed between individuals and their caregivers or partners.

In childhood, Ainsworth identified three main attachment types:

Secure attachment – where children feel confident that their caregiver will meet their needs.

Insecure-avoidant – where children avoid closeness and show little distress when separated from the caregiver.

Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) – where children are clingy and show distress but resist comfort when reunited.

In adulthood, Hazan and Shaver extended these into:

Secure – adults are comfortable with intimacy and trust.

Avoidant – adults struggle with closeness and tend to distance themselves.

Anxious (ambivalent) – adults often worry about being abandoned and seek reassurance.

These patterns help explain behaviors in both childhood and adult relationships.