attachment theory the bonds of intimacy

7/29/2019 Attachment Theory the Bonds of Intimacy

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AttachmentTheory:The Bonds

of Intimacy

PSYC 106


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One of the most influential developmental theoriesattachment theory - was produced by John Bowlby,which he laid out in a series off books from 1969 to1980. Bowlbys theory was

based on the assumption that

babies and adult caregivers

(in all species) have evolved to

develop powerful bonds with each

other. Why? Because mammalian

infants are helpless, and unless at

least one parent provides food and protection for longperiods they will not survive and thus pass on thegenes of their parent(s).


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Based on observations of both human infants and othermammalian species, Bowlby discovered a standard pattern ofresponses produced by young offspring when separated from

their parent(s):

protest,

then despair,

then detachment.

Bowlby hypothesized that this pattern has evolved to alert theparent and re-establish contact. If this strategy fails, thenremaining quiet may be the best way of avoiding predators ordanger. Finally, detachment might have the function ofclearing away failed attachments and allowing a secureattachment to develop with another adult.


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The next most important elaboration of attachment theory was

provided by Mary Ainsworth (a colleague of Bowlby), who

developed the so-called laboratory strange situation. In this

procedure 12-18 month-old infants are left with a stranger in a

lab. setting, and then the mother leaves. The mother thenreturns a few minutes later. Thus, this design stresses the

infant and exposes them to two cues to dangerbeing left

alone and being exposed to a stranger.


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Ainsworth expected that the infants would become distressedwhen their mothers left, seek physical contact when theyreturned, and subsequently calm down and return to playingwith their toys. Indeed, this was the most common response ofthe American babies tested (subsequently categorized assecure), but many did not. Some did not pay much attention totheir mothers, were not particularly distressed when the motherleft, and more or less ignored the mother on returntheseinfants were termed avoidant. The remaining 10 to 15%

tended to behave in a contradictory fashion when the motherreturned, whining, crying, and seeking physical contact, yetresisting and struggling at the same timethe so-calledambivalent infants.

The next slide shows the percentages of infants that researchgenerally shows fit into each category

[


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Ainsworth: Lab StrangeSituation

70%

10%

20%

Secure Anxious/ambivalent Avoidant


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The short film shown next illustrates asimplified version of the lab. strangesituation, illustrating two infantattachment styles: Secure and what the

narrator claims is an insecure style.

For the child who has an insecure style, do

you think he/she is avoidant orambivalent?


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Discussion Questions (as a class)

Why do you think infants would differ intheir behavior in the lab strange situation?

That is, what makes infants Secure,

Avoidant, or Ambivalent?
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Hazan and Shavers

Big Bang (1987).
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Hazan and Shaver (1987) were the first toapply attachment theory to adultrelationships. This article kicked off amassive surge in research on adultattachment. Hazan and Shaver postulated

that falling in love (as an adult) is verysimilar to the process of bonding betweeninfants and parents. Consider, for

example, the following similarities:


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Eye-contact


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Physical Affection


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Playing together


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The next two slides describe thesimilarities between adult romanticattachment and child/parent attachment inmore detail.


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Infant Attachment Romantic Love

Quality of attachment bonddepends on ATs responsiveness

Love depends on targets actual orimagined responsiveness

AT provides secure base for infantto feel safe and to explore

LT causes person to feel safe andconfident

Attachment behaviour includesholding, touching, kissing, rocking,smiling, crying

Love behaviour includes holding,touching, kissing, rocking, smiling,crying

When stressed (afraid, sick ,threatened) infant seeks physicalcontact with AT

When stressed (afraid, sick ,threatened) lovers seeks physicalcontact with LT

Distress at separation, depression ifreunion seems impossible

Distress at separation, depression ifreunion seems impossible

Infants share toys, discoveries Lovers share toys, discoveries

AT = attachment target LT = love target


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Infant Attachment Romantic Love

Infant and AT engage in prolongedeye contact

Lovers engage in prolonged eyecontact

Infant and AT seem fascinated witheach others physical features

Lovers seem fascinated with eachothers physical features

Usually one key attachmentrelationship

Usually one key attachmentrelationship

Use baby talk, nicknames, coo Use baby talk, nicknames, coo

Upon reunion, infants smile, andreach to be picked up

Upon reunion, lovers smile, hug

AT exquisitely sensitive to infantsneeds

Lovers exquisitely sensitive to eachothers needs

AT = attachment target LT = love target


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Discussion questions (as a class)

Are you convinced? Do you see some important differences

between adult romantic love andchild/parent love?


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Using questionnaires, research hasestablished that, like infants, adults tend

to fall into one of three categoriesdescribed below, and in similar numbersto those found using the lab. strangeprocedure.

The following slides show the set of scalesused by Hazan and Shaver for measuring

adult attachment working models.Participants are asked to rate the extentto which each description is accurate.


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Avoidant

I am somewhatuncomfortable being close

to others. I find it difficult

to trust them completely,

difficult to allow myself to

depend on them. I am

nervous when anyone gets

too close, and often love

partners want to be more

intimate than I feel

comfortable being.


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Anxious

I find that others arereluctant to get as close

to me as I would like. I

often worry that my

partner doesnt really

love me or wont want

to stay with me. I want

to get very close to my

partner, and this

sometimes scares

people away.
http://www.sylviaplath.info/gallery/jp2.jpg


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Secure

I find it relatively easy

to get close to others

and am comfortabledepending on them. I

dont often worry about

being abandoned orabout someone getting

too close to me.


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Using these notes, and the chapter from Fletcher (2002) asbackground reading, get into groups of 5 or 6 and discuss thefollowing questions:

Can an individual be secure and ambivalent? To what extent are our adult attachment working models fixed

by our childhood experiences?

Can having a good adult relationship change an insecureattachment style into a secure attachment style?

Might attachment working models differ across categories ofrelationships?; e.g., could you have a secure model withfriends and an avoidant model with romantic partners? If so,why?

Imagine James had an avoidant working model, and he was inin an intimate sexual relationship: a) what would James expectfrom his partner?, b) if his partner forgot to pick him up at theairport, how might he explain this behavior, c) if his partnerneeded help, what emotions would James feel?

attachment theory the bonds of intimacy

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