Attachment Theory and Harlow's Studies

Harlow's Monkey Studies

• Harlow's research investigated attachment in rhesus monkeys.
• Isolated monkeys displayed significant social anxiety and withdrawal.
• Monkeys prioritized comfort over food, spending substantially more time with a soft "mother" than a wire "mother" providing nourishment.
• Peer-raised monkeys formed attachments with peers but showed reduced parenting skills.
• Isolated adult monkeys could regain social abilities if paired with juvenile monkeys.

John Bowlby's Attachment Theory

• Bowlby's theory centers on attachment ensuring infant survival by proximity to caregivers.
• Caregivers act as a secure base for exploration and safety.

Attachment Behaviors

• Attachment behaviors are instinctual actions, including: smiling, crying, clinging, "cuteness".
• These behaviors promote caregiver proximity.

Bases of Social Interactions

• Contingent responding, or reciprocity, describes reciprocal caregiver-child interactions.
• Social referencing is relying on others' cues in uncertain situations.

Stages of Attachment Development

• Pre-Attachment (0–6 weeks): Infants use signals to encourage caregiver proximity.
• Indiscriminate Attachment (6 weeks–6/7 months): Infants prefer familiar caregivers but aren't distressed by separation.
• Specific Attachment (6/8–18/24 months): Infants demonstrate clear preference for a primary caregiver; stranger and separation anxiety emerge.
• Multiple Attachments & Reciprocal Relationships (>18/24 months): Infants form attachments with multiple individuals and develop reciprocal relationships.

Attachment to Mother and Father

• Initial attachment may form earlier with mothers, but cultural factors influence considerably over biology.
• Hormonal changes affect both parents' parenting.

Attachment-Related Fears

• Stranger anxiety peaks at 8–10 months and then declines.
• Separation anxiety peaks between 14–18 months, followed by decline.

Measuring Attachment: Ainsworth's Strange Situation

• A structured procedure (8 episodes, 3 minutes each) assessing attachment through:
  • Use of caregiver as a secure base.
  • Stranger anxiety reactions.
  • Separation anxiety responses.
  • Reunion behaviors.

Attachment Types

• Secure (65–70%): Uses caregiver as secure base, demonstrates separation anxiety but calms with reunion.
• Avoidant (~20%): Shows little separation anxiety, avoids or ignores caregiver during reunion.
• Resistant (~10%): High separation anxiety, resists caregiver's attempts to soothe.
• Disorganized (~5%): Inconsistent behaviors; confusion about approaching or avoiding the caregiver (e.g. freezing or dazed).
• Disinhibited/Indiscriminate Attachment: Exhibits little preference between caregiver and strangers; may be overly friendly or unfriendly to strangers.

Factors Influencing Attachment Styles

• Parent-Related Factors (Ainsworth):
  • Sensitivity, positive attitude, synchrony, mutuality, support, and stimulation in caregiving foster secure attachment.
• Infant-Related Factors: Infant temperament affects attachment quality; temperamentally difficult infants may receive less responsive caregiving.

Internal Working Model (Bowlby)

• Mental representation of self and others (influencing relational expectations).
• Different attachment styles result in distinct mental models of relationships.

Attachment and Later Development

• Secure attachment often correlates with better social interactions in later life.
• A direct causal link between early attachment and later development isn't proven.

Explore the foundational concepts of attachment through Harlow's monkey studies and Bowlby's theory. This quiz delves into the mechanisms of attachment behaviors and the social interactions between caregivers and infants. Test your understanding of how these studies illuminate our comprehension of social development.