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? Touch Eye Contact Smile and Positive Affect Need Fulfillment

Context in Which Attachment Theory was Developed John Bowlby WWII child evacuations No connection-meeting physical and emotional needs Not forming new attachments Children-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 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 Ainsworth Uganda and Baltimore Strange Situation Attachment 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.