Attachment and Social Relationships (Part 1) - Lecture Notes PDF

ATTACHMENT THILAKSHI FERNANDO LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND SENIOR LECTURER MPHIL (UOC, SL), BSC (CARDIFF MET, UK), HND  Define attachment LEARNING Understand the theory of attachment & experiments that OUTCOMES lead to it. OF THE Dis...

ATTACHMENT THILAKSHI FERNANDO LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND SENIOR LECTURER MPHIL (UOC, SL), BSC (CARDIFF MET, UK), HND  Define attachment LEARNING Understand the theory of attachment & experiments that OUTCOMES lead to it. OF THE Discuss the attachment styles. LECTURE Discuss how attachments styles can impact later life WHAT IS ATTACHMENT? 'Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space" (Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969). Influential Experiments that led to our understanding of Attachment Harlow Monkey Experiment (1958) Strange situation (1970) HARLOW MONKEY EXPERIMENT (1958) HARLOW MONKEY EXPERIMENT (1958) Observation: The baby monkeys preferred the cloth mother, even though she did not provide food. They spend significnatly more time with the cloth mother The monkeys would go to the wire mother for food, but always returned to the cloth mother. When they were anxious they would cling to the cloth mother. The monkeys would rather stay with cloth mother for comfort rather than the wire mother for food. When the mothers were removed from the room, the young monkeys no longer had their secure base for exploration and would often freeze up, crouch, rock, scream, and cry. HARLOW MONKEY EXPERIMENT (1958) HARLOW MONKEY EXPERIMENT (1958) Conclusions Harlow concluded that; Affection was the primary force behind the need for closeness. Affectionate bonds were critical for development. STRANGE SITUATION (1970) Although nearly all infants develop emotional attachments to their caregivers their sense of security in those attachments varies. John Bowlby agreed with the psychoanalytic view that early childhood experiences are important for influencing development and behavior later in life. According to Bowlby attachment is a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings which is established in childhood through the infant/caregiver relationship aids in survival" STRANGE SITUATION (1970) So what determines successful attachment? Behaviorists suggest that because caregiver feeds the child and provides nourishment, the child becomes attached. But Bowlby observed is that even feedings did not reduce the anxiety children experienced when they were separated from their primary caregivers. Instead, he found that nurturance and responsiveness were the primary determinants of attachment. STRANGE SITUATION (1970) In 1970s, Psychologist Mary Ainsworth conducted the groundbreaking “Strange Situation” study which expanded greatly upon Bowlby's original work in order to observe the variety of attachment forms exhibited between mothers and infants. In the experimental study, researchers observed children of 100 middle-class American families between the ages of 12 and 18 months as they responded to a situation in which they were briefly left alone and then reunited with their mothers. STRANGE SITUATION (1970) The experiment is set up in a small room with one way glass so the behavior of the infant can be observed covertly. The procedure was conducted by observing the behavior of the infant in a series of eight episodes lasting approximately 3 minutes each: (1) Mother, baby, and experimenter (lasts less than one minute). (2) Mother and baby alone. (3) A stranger joins the mother and infant. (4) Mother leaves baby and stranger alone. (5) Mother returns and stranger leaves. (6) Mother leaves; infant left completely alone. (7) Stranger returns. (8) Mother returns and stranger leaves. STRANGE SITUATION (1970) STRANGE SITUATION (1970) Based on the responses observed, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment: 1. Secure attachment 2. Ambivalent-insecure attachment 3. Avoidant-insecure attachment Later, researchers Main and Solomon in the 1986 added a fourth attachment style based on their own research called Disorganized-insecure attachment.  SECURE ATTACHMENT Characterized by trust, an adaptive response to being abandoned, and the belief that one is worthy of love. Depend on their caregivers show distress when separated and joy when reunited.  AMBIVALENT-INSECURE ATTACHMENT (AKA PREOCCUPIED, ANXIOUS OR ANXIOUS- AMBIVALENT) These children become very distressed when seperated from parents. Characterized by a concern that others will not respond in the same way to one's desire for intimacy. This is caused when an infant learns that their caregiver or parent is unreliable and does not consistently provide responsive care towards their needs.  AVOIDANT-INSECURE ATTACHMENT (AKA AVOIDANT, DISMISSIVE, OR ANXIOUS-AVOIDANT) These children tend to avoid parents or caregivers and show no distress during separation. This may be because the parent has ignored attempts to be intimate, and the child may internalize the belief that they cannot depend on this or any other relationship. DISORGANIZED-INSECURE ATTACHMENT (AKA FEARFUL-AVOIDANT) These children tend to display dazed behavior, sometimes seeming either confused or apprehensive in the presence of a caregiver. They may avoid or resist the parent. In such styles of parenting, parents may serve as both a source of comfort and fear, leading to disorganized behavior. ATTACHMENT STYLE AND VIEW OF SELF AND THE WORLD  ATTACHMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.  ATTACHMENT AND LATER LIFE EXPERIENCES. Secure Attachment Comfortable with intimacy Able to balance dependence and independence in relationships. Preoccupied Attachment (Anxious in Children) Crave for intimacy Overly dependent and demanding in relationships.  ATTACHMENT AND LATER LIFE EXPERIENCES. Dismissive Attachment (Avoidant in Children) Strong sense of self-sufficiency, sometimes leading to detachment. Value their independence highly and may seem uninterested in close relationships. Fearful Attachment (Disorganized in Children) Desire for close relationships and fear vulnerability. Behave unpredictably in relationships due to their internal conflict between a desire for intimacy and fear of it. THANK YOU!