CHAPTER 14

ATTACHMENT

Attachment

A deep and enduring connection established between a child and caregiver in the first several years of life.

Central to human life

Attachment Theory

How are these central relationships formed?

TouchEye ContactSmile and Positive AffectNeed Fulfillment

Context in Which Attachment Theory was Developed

John BowlbyWWII child evacuationsNo connection-meeting physical

and emotional needs Not forming new attachmentsChildren-not playing

Influences on Bowlby’s Theory

Disagreed with traditional psychoanalytic theory

Adopted an evolutionary perspective (Darwin)

Others in Attachment History

David Levy Loretta Bender Harry Bakwin Rene Spitz James Robertson- stages of emotional

reaction to loss/separation Harry Harlow

The wire and cloth surrogate “mothers” used in Harlow’s research. This infant monkey has formed an attachment to the cloth mother that provides “contact comfort,” even though it must stretch to the wire mother in order to feed.

Key ideas of Attachment Theory

Attachment is a biologically based need separate from other such needs

Attachment need and exploratory behavior have a reciprocal relationship

Each person forms a mental representation of the early attachment experience

Self-awareness as autonomous person facilitated by attachment

How Do We Observe Children’s Attachment?

Mary AinsworthUganda and BaltimoreStrange SituationAttachment Classifications

How Do Secure Attachments Form

Parenting Dimensions: Acceptance Cooperation Sensitivity Availability

Consequences for later Development Self-esteem Independence/autonomy Resilience Impulse control Long-term friendships Relationships with authority figures (including parents) Prosocial coping skills Trust, intimacy and affection Positive belief systems Empathy, compassion, and conscience Behavioral performance and academic success Promote secure attachment with own children

Cultural Variations

In U.S., one-third (middle class families) insecurely attached

Percentage higher in high-risk families Results consistent in all cultures Universal and culture-specific aspects of

attachment German replication: avoidant

attachment Israeli kibbutzim: ambivalent attachment

Romantic Attachment

Adult Attachment Interview (Mary Main) Secure- balance attachment/autonomy

Preoccupied- abandonment,

anxiety/anger Dismissing- compulsively self-reliant Fearful- self-doubt, lack of strategies

In the study by Simpson er al, (2007) relationship quality at each step in development affected relationship quality at the next step.