Infant Attachment

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Infant Attachment

• Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and
  Toddlerhood

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Attachment is...

• an emotional tie
• that is relatively enduring
• to a specific other person

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we have already covered mother-infant
relationships...

• Freud-
• mother gratifies needs of erogenous zones

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Another view...

• Erikson-
• social relationship with mother

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Erikson

• IDENTITY formation is the theme of psychological
  development
• Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
• Birth to 2 years

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Erikson

• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• 2-3 years

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yet another view...

• Watson and Skinner-
• mother molds child through conditioning

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Learning View

• Socialization
• Reinforcement
• Punishment
• Observational learning
• Two people influence one another

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Common theme...

• mother is all-important
• mother on a pedastal, but
• also blamed for problems
• fathers role is minimized

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Ethological view

• Infant/caregiver behaviors represent millions of
  years of adaptation to the environment

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Cognitive View

• Internal working models
• Vygotsky Less emphasis on mother/infant
  relationship
• Many social interactions are important

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Current views focus on...

• two-way influence
• childs temperament
• importance of fathers
• importance of other people

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today attachment is considered to be...

• a relatively enduring emotional tie
• between two specific people

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developmentof attachment involves...

• cognitive
• physical
• psychosocial

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Bowlby Ainsworth

• Ethological perspective
• Bowlby studied survival value
• Ainsworth studied quality of attachments

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Bowlby

• Phase 1, b-2 mos., Indiscriminate social
  responsiveness
• Phase 2, 2-7 mos., Discriminate social
  responsiveness
• Phase 3, 8-24 mos., Focused attachment
• Wariness of strangers
• Separation protest

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Strange Situation Procedure

• put infant in increasingly stressful situations
• determined 3 main types of attachment

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How do we assess?

• Wariness of Strangers
• by 6-8 months
• infant can move toward specific others (physical)
• infant can move away from strangers (physical)
• Secure Base of Exploration
• Separation Protest
• by 8-9 months
• infant upset by parent leaving (cognitive)

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B-Secure Attachment

• 65
• secure base of exploration
• upset when parent leaves
• calms self, or
• can be calmed
• joy at reunion

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C-Insecure-Resistant

• 15
• clings
• upset when parent leaves
• cannot be consoled
• ambivalent at reunion

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A-Insecure-Avoidant

• 20
• ignores parent when exploring
• no outward reactions at separation or reunion,
  but
• heart rate increases

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Insecure-Disoriented (rare)

• follow parent, whining
• approach but dont reach to be picked up
• mixture of behaviors
• appear confused, apprehensive
• associated with abuse

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When does attachment form?

• clear-cut attachment begins at 6-8 months
• peaks 12-18 months
• tapers off by 2-3 years

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Why does attachment from?

• feeding brings relief
• cuddle, touch, hold, rock
• responsive to infants needs
• object permanence
• play
• moms are gentle and rhythmic
• dads are rough and exciting

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Which is most important?

• feeding brings relief
• cuddle, touch, hold, rock
• responsive to infants needs
• object permanence
• play
• moms are gentle and rhythmic
• dads are rough and exciting

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The

• END