The Nature of Childs Ties

1
The Nature of Childs Ties

• Cassidy, J. (1999). The nature of the
  childs ties. In J. Cassidy P. R. Shaver
  (Eds.), Handbook of attachment Theory, research,
  and clinical applications (pp. 3-20). New York
  Guilford Press.

2
An Evolutionary Perspective

• Proximity to parents facilitates protection of
  children.
• Infants are predisposed to seek proximity during
  distress.
• Attachment, therefore, contributes to
  evolutionary survival.
• Within this framework, attachment is considered
  a normal and healthy characteristic of humans
  throughout the lifespan, rather than a sign of
  immaturity that needs to be outgrown (Cassidy,
  1999, p. 5).

3
The Attachment Behavioral System

• Attachment behavioral system refers to a
  particular repertoires of behaviors that an
  individual uses.
• Attachment occurs even when physical needs are
  not met or the child is abused.
• The attachment behavioral system is a
  goal-corrected system which is flexible. The
  flexible use of a variety of attachment
  behaviors, depending on the circumstances,
  affords the infant greater efficiency in
  goal-corrected responses (Cassidy, 1999, p. 5).

4
Individual Differences

• Although there is a biological basis for
  attachment and all children become attached (even
  to abusive parents), not all children become
  securely attached.
• Secure attachment occurs when a child has a
  mental representation of the attachment figure as
  available and responsive when needed. Infants are
  considered insecurely attached when they lack
  such a representation (Cassidy, 1999, p. 7).
• The Role of Context
• Activation of the attachment behavioral system is
  influenced by
• conditions in the child
• conditions in the environment.
• In sum, proximity seeking is activated when the
  infant receives information (from both internal
  and external sources) that a goal (the desired
  distance from the mother) is exceeded. It
  remains activated until the goal is achieved, and
  then it stops (Cassidy, 1999, p. 6).

5
Individual Differences (cont.)

• The Role of Emotion
• Intense emotions are associated with the
  formation, the maintenance, the disruption, and
  the renewal of attachment relationships
  (Cassidy, 1999, p. 6).
• Emotions contribute to motivation to seek
  attachment.
• The Role of Cognition
• Children learn to use specific attachment
  behaviors with specific people in specific
  situations.
• Children develop internal working models that
  help them anticipate the future.

6
Attachment in Relation to Other Behavioral Systems

• The Exploratory System
• The exploratory behavioral system promotes
  survival because curiosity helps children learn
  about and adapt to their environment.
• This system reduces attachment behavior
• The Fear System the fear behavioral system
  promotes safety and, as a result, engages the
  attachment system.
• The Sociable System
• The organization of the biologically based,
  survival-promoting tendency to be sociable with
  others (Cassidy, 1999, p. 9).
• This system is ferent from the attachment system.
• The Caregiving System
• Parent repertoire of behaviors that are engaged
  to respond to attachment-seeking in children.
• Like other systems, it is activated by internal
  and external cues.

7
The Attachment Bond

• Attachment bond refers to an affectional tie
  this bond is not between two people it is
  instead a bond that one individual has to another
  individual who is perceived as stronger and wiser
  A person can be attached to a person who is not
  in turn attached to him or her (Cassidy, 1999,
  p. 12).
• Cassidy reported several important propositions
  about attachment theory
• The attachment bond is only one feature of a
  parent-child relationship. Caregivers also serve
  as playmates, teachers, and disciplinarians.
• Children experience multiple attachments but the
  quality of the attachment bond is not the same in
  each relationship. The quality of the bond is
  influenced by amount of interaction, quality of
  care provided, and emotional investment of the
  caregiver.
• The attachment bond cannot be inferred from the
  presence or absence of attachment behavior.

8
Multiple Attachments

• Children form more than one attachment and
  strength of attachment seems to be influenced by
  the extent to which the caregiver provides
  sensitive care.
• The potential number of attachment figures is not
  limtless.
• Although children have multiple attachment
  figures, they do not treat all attachment figures
  as equivalent.