Attachment Theory Definition of Attachment An enduring

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Attachment Theory
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Definition of Attachment

• An enduring emotional tie to a special person,
  characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain
  closeness, especially during times of stress.

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Roots of Attachment Theory

• John Bowlby applied ethology to infants
• Influenced by Konrad Lorenz
• Infants innate behaviors are evolved responses
  which promote survival

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Importance of Attachment

• Implications for infant's sense of security
• Affects internal working model
• Freud, Erikson, Behaviorists described its impact
  on development

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Bowlbys Four Stages of Attachment

• Preattachment phase
• Birth - 6 weeks
• Babys innate signals attract caregiver
• Caregivers remain close by when the baby responds
  positively

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Attachment in the Making

• 6 wks to 6-8 months
• Develops a sense of trust that caregiver will
  respond when signaled
• Infants respond more positively to familiar
  caregiver
• Babies don't protest when separated from parent

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Clear-cut Attachment

• 6-8 months to 18-24 months
• Babies display separation anxiety
• Babies protest when parent leaves

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Formation of Reciprocal Relationship

• 18 mo - 2yrs
• Toddlers increase their understanding of symbols
  and language improves
• Toddlers understand that parents will return

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Factors which Affect Attachment

• Opportunity for attachment
• Quality of caregiving
• respond promptly and consistently
• interactional synchrony the sensitively tuned
  emotional dance
• Infant characteristics
• infant's temperament, special needs, prematurity,
  or illnesses

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More Factors which Affect Attachment

• Family circumstances
• Stress can undermine attachment
• Parents internal working models
• Parents own attachment experiences
• Parents ability to accept their past

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Measuring the Quality of Attachment

• Mary Ainsworth researched
• Designed the strange situation
• A lab experiment with 8 different episodes of
  separation and reunion
• Attached infant will
• Use mother as a secure base
• Be soothed by the mother during the reunion

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Secure attachment

• Uses caregiver as a secure base
• May show distress at separation, but the baby can
  be soothed at reunion
• 60-65 of North American children

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Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

• Unresponsive to parent when she is present
• Not distressed by parting
• Avoids or slow to greet parent on return
• 20 of North American children

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Insecure-Resistant Attachment

• Infants remain close to parents and not eager to
  explore
• Distressed by separation
• During reunion, infants are both clingy and
  resistant
• 12 of North American children

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Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment

• No coherent strategy for handling separations or
  reunions
• Baby looks dazed and confused
• 5-10 of North American children