ATTACHMENT

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ATTACHMENT

• Importance to socialization
• Definition a close emotional relationship
  between two people, characterized by mutual
  affection and a desire to maintain proximity

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Functions of attachment

• Harlow surrogate monkey mothers
• Cloth vs wire monkeys
• Mother- vs. peer-reared
• alcohol consumption

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• Rheingold infants in lab
• Balance between security exploration

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The unattached infant

• Examples
• Children in orphanages
• Children moved frequently in out of foster care
• Romanian adoptees

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Problems associated with institutional rearing

• Indiscriminate friendliness
• Inattention/Overactivity syndrome
• Problems with inhibitory system?

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Theory of attachment formation

• Major theorists Bowlby Ainsworth
• Ethological theory contribution
• Innate component to behavior
• Innate infant behaviors that foster relationship
• Heredity-Environment interaction
• Psychoanalytic theory contribution
• Internal motivation akin to drive
• Long-lasting effects on personality

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Theory contributions (cont)

• Social learning theory contribution
• Role of reinforcement
• (Why s.l.t. isn't adequate)
• Cognitive developmental contribution
• Recognition of caretaker
• Object permanence
• Build modify models of attachment

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Attachment theory tenets (Bowlby's conclusions)

• 1. Attachment is grounded in a behavior-motivation
  al control system whose goal is felt security
• 2. Child is preferentially responsive to a small
  number of familiar caregivers
• 3. Individuals construct working models of self
  and attachment figures

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Tenets (cont)

• 4. When individuals have confidence in their
  attachment figures, they will be much less prone
  to either intense or chronic fear
• 5. There is a sensitive period for development of
  this confidence
• 6. The role of actual experience is important

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Stages of attachment formation

• Orientation signals to all humans
• Orientation signals directed toward one or more
  discriminated figures
• Proximity to a discriminated figure through
  locomotion signalling
• Goal-corrected partnership

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Measurement of attachment

• Ainsworth's Strange Situation
• 1. Mother, Infant, observer
• 2. Mother, Infant
• 3. Mother, Infant, Stranger
• 4. Infant, Stranger
• 5. Mother, Infant (1st reunion)
• 6. Infant
• 7. Infant, Stranger
• 8. Mother, Infant (2nd reunion)

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Major attachment patterns

• Securely attached
• Resistently or ambivalently attached
• Avoidantly attached
• Disoriented/disorganized attachment

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Important issues

• Parental behaviors that foster each pattern
• Secure sensitive, responsive
• Resistent/ambivalent inconsistent
• Avoidant rejecting, overstimulating
• Disorganized/disoriented frightening, abusive or
  neglecting, maternal depression
• Stability of attachment patterns
• Inter-generational transfer

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Effects of attachment security

• Secure attachment associated with
• Mastery motivation
• Better problem solving
• Longer attention spans
• Greater task persistence
• More positive affect
• More exploratory
• More compliant with adults
• Better social functioning
• Better peer interactions
• Less aggressive
• Fewer behavior problems
• More empathic
• More ego resilience/self esteem

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Effects of daycare on attachment bond

• Important considerations
• Caretaker should be good attachment figure
• Should be consistency in caretakers
• Parents should be good attachment figures
• Maternal satisfaction with work situation
• Conclusions of research

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Conclusions

• Parenting makes a difference
• Attachment is an important component of parenting