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

Attachment Basic trust and reciprocity Exploration Self-regulation Identity Prosocial moral framework Core belief system Defense against stress/trauma

Attachment Established in the context of a relationship that includes: touch eye contact smile and positive affect need fulfillment

Secure Attachment 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

Disrupted Attachment Low self-esteem Needy, clingy or pseudo-independent Decompensate under stress Lack self-control Unable to develop/maintain friendships Alienated from/oppositional with parents other authority figures Antisocial attitudes/behaviors Aggression/violence Incapable of genuine trust, intimacy, affection Negative, hopeless, pessimistic view Lack empathy, compassion, remorse Behavior/academic problems Perpetuate cycle

History of Attachment Theory John Bowlby Affectionless/homeless children Ethology Bowlby conclusions: instinctual behaviors keep mother close smile is a social releaser certain conditions increase attachment maternal deprivation/separation traumatic loss causes pathological mourning

Attachment History David Levy Loretta Bender Harry Bakwin Rene Spitz James Robertson- stages of emotional reaction to loss/separation Harry Harlow

History of Attachment Mary Ainsworth Uganda Study Secure Base Phases of Attachment undiscriminating differential responsiveness separation anxiety active initiation stranger anxiety

Mary Ainsworth Strange Situation Attachment Patterns Secure Insecure Resistant/Ambivalent Avoidant Parenting Dimensions: acceptance, cooperation, sensitivity, and availability

Developmental Studies Mary Main longitudinal study disorganized attachment internal working model Allan Sroufe High risk population

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

Childhood Peers Important for social development Piaget: equal power among peers –Requires cooperation, negotiation skills Sullivan: Peers important after age 6 –Changing interpersonal needs Harris: Parental influence is overrated –Peers more important for development

Peer Relations 18 mo: first peers –Turn taking –Reciprocal play Age 2-12: increasing time spent –Same sex peers –Similar age and play preferences

Peer Acceptance Sociometric techniques –Most popular kids Attractive, intelligent Socially competent –Rejected kids Highly aggressive Socially isolated, overly sensitive, submissive

Play Age 1-2: Pretend play Age 2-5: Social play Age 5-6: Rule-based games By age 11-2: Rule flexibility Play is beneficial –Cognitive development –Social skills