1 / 16

Attachment

Attachment. What are emotional attachments Theories of attachment Behaviorist approach Drive reduction model Operant conditioning model Problems with the models Psychoanalytic approach Freud’s theory Erikson’s theory Cognitive-developmental approach Ethological approach

sundari
Download Presentation

Attachment

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Attachment • What are emotional attachments • Theories of attachment • Behaviorist approach • Drive reduction model • Operant conditioning model • Problems with the models • Psychoanalytic approach • Freud’s theory • Erikson’s theory • Cognitive-developmental approach • Ethological approach • Background of the theory • The developmental course of attachment • Measurement of attachment • The “strange situation” • The attachment Q-sort • Patterns of attachment • Factors affecting attachment • Maternal deprivation and institutionalization • Quality of care-giving • Infant characteristics • Family circumstances

  2. Theories of AttachmentBehaviorist Approach • The importance of feeding and drive reduction • Elicits positive responses • Mothers provide infants with additional comforts, such as warmth, vocalizations • All occur in single setting • Mom becomes source of reinforcement

  3. Theories of AttachmentBehaviorist ApproachHarlow & Zimmerman (1959) Harry Harlow • Contact comfort

  4. Theories of AttachmentBehaviorist ApproachBlanket Attachment and Play

  5. Theories of AttachmentBehaviorist Approach • The importance of feeding and drive reduction • Elicits positive responses • Mothers provide infants with additional comforts, such as warmth, vocalizations • All occur in single setting • Mom becomes source of reinforcement • Operant Conditioning model • Infants look, smile, and seek proximity because mom reciprocates with smiles, hugs • The greater number of behaviors that get reinforced by particular person, the more one is attached to that person

  6. Theories of AttachmentPsychoanalytic Approach • Freudian approach • Similar to drive reduction • Become attached to person who satisfies basic biological drives (typically Mom) • Relationship with Mom then prototype for romantic relationships throughout life • Erikson’s approach • 1st developmental stage: birth – 1 yr: Trust vs. mistrust • Children become attached to people who minister to needs • Importance of mother’s overall responsiveness

  7. Theories of AttachmentCognitive-Developmental Approach • Little to say about which people to whom one becomes attached • Suggests that attachment depends, in part, on level of cognitive development • Must be able to discriminate familiar persons from strangers • Must recognize that familiar persons have permanence – object permanence abilities, as discussed earlier • Thus, timing of attachment related to timing of development of cognitive ability

  8. Theories of AttachmentEthological Approach John Bowlby • Central feature of theory • Babies born with in-born set of behaviors • Behaviors elicit parent care, thus increase change of survival

  9. Theories of AttachmentEthological Approach John Bowlby • The developmental course of attachment • The preattachment phase (birth – 6 wks) • Behavior a matter of genetically determined reflexive responses with survival value • Promote physical contact • Attachment in the making (6 wks – 6/8 mos) • Orient and respond with preference towards mom • No specific attachment yet • The phase of clearcut attachment (6/8 mos – 18/24 mos) • Shows separation anxiety • Mom as a “safe haven” • Formation of a reciprocal relationship (18/24 mos – ) • Decrease in separation anxiety

  10. Theories of AttachmentEthological Approach • Four phases produce enduring affectionate tie to caregiver • Use as a secure based in parent’s absence • Used as an internal working model • Produces attachment-related expectations for parental comfort and support • Johnson, Dweck, & Chen (2007) • Habituated to display of small and large ovals • Tested with responsive and unresponsive caregiver

  11. Measurement of AttachmentThe Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth (nee Salter) • Background • University of Toronto B.A., M.A., & Ph.D • Ph.D supervisor – William E. Blatz (child development and security theory) • Moved to England in 1950, worked at the Tavistock Clinic with John Bowlby • Moved to Uganda in 1953 • Moved to Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) in 1955

  12. Measurement of AttachmentThe Strange Situation

  13. Measurement of AttachmentPatterns of Attachment • Securely Attached • Distressed during separation • Seeks out mother during reunion • About 60% of North-American infants • Insecure – Avoidant • Unresponsive to mom • Avoids parent during reunion • About 15% of North-American infants • Insecure – Resistant • Seeks closeness to mom, fails to explore • Combines clinginess and resistant behavior upon return • About 10% of North-American infants • Insecure – Disorganized/Disoriented • Combination of avoidant and ambivalent/resistant • Confusion over whether to approach or avoid • During reunion may act dazed or freeze • About 15% of North-American infants

  14. Measurement of AttachmentAttachment Q-sort • Observation of 90 behaviors • “The child greets the mother with a big smile when entering the room” • “When the mother moves far away, the child follows along” • “The child uses the mother’s facial expression as a good source of information about something risky” • Sorted into 9 categories • Not at all descriptive – Highly descriptive

  15. Factors Affecting the Developmentof Attachment René Spitz • Early availability of a consistent caregiver • Work with institutionalized infants (Spitz, 1946) • Work with infants in institution with good infant-caregiver ratio, but high staff turnover • Research on adoption of European orphans • Indiscriminate friendliness • ERP differences in the processing of emotional information

  16. Factors Affecting the Developmentof Attachment • Early availability of a consistent caregiver • Work with institutionalized infants (Spitz, 1946) • Work with infants in institution with good infant-caregiver ratio, but high staff turnover • Research on adoption of European orphans • Indiscriminate friendliness • ERP differences in the processing of emotional information • Quality of caregiving • Impact of sensitive caregiving • How crucial are such factors? • Gusii of Kenya • Mothers in Puerto Rico • Infant characteristics • Infant difficulties and temperament • Combination of factors • Family circumstances • Stressors in the family • Parent’s own history of attachment • Internal working models and reconstructed memories

More Related