attachment theories

• early theories of attachment

  • freud - children’s main drive is to feed, and the mother feeds them so is a source of drive reduction
  • learning theory - the mother is classically conditioned to give pleasure as they are associated with food

  in reality the attachment bond is based on psychological comfort
• harlow's monkeys

  • raised rhesus monkeys with either cloth or wire replacement mothers
  • one provided comfort and the other provided food
  • monkeys consistently sought comfort from cloth mother when frightened
  • evidence of resilience - if 6 month old monkeys were returned to normal social groups of 3 month old monkeys after being raised in isolation effects were barely noticeable after 6 months
• lorenz' geese

  • found evidence for critical period of attachment with geese
  • hatched a clutch of geese so he was the first moving object they saw
  • imprinted on him and viewed him as the mother figure
  • birds have a biological mechanism for attachment
• founders of attachment theory

  • bowlby - psychoanalyst who was influenced by experiences in childhood and psychiatric training
  • ainsworth - influenced by security theory and clinical assessment
• maternal deprivation

  the lack of an attachment relationship leads to ongoing relationship difficulty

  • also causes behavioural and emotional problems
  • research suggests as long as there is a substitute caregiver there is no difference in child development
  • spread sexist ideas through a fear that if mothers returned to work their children would suffer from maternal deprivation
• bowlby and society

  • conclusion - babies thrive when they have a positive relationship with their mother or a permanent substitute which brings both satisfaction
  • emphasised social context and economic factors
  • worked with mothers and their own childhood experiences to help them help their children
• bowlby's critical period

  • human critical period was between 6 months and 3 years
  • during this period child needs continued love and care from one person — monotropy
  • significant separations leads to detrimental effects on development
  • rutter - romanian orphans studies suggested critical period in humans
• ainsworth's strange situations

  • observational research in babies under 2 years old over 8 stages
  • mother and baby in playroom
  • stranger enters
  • mother leaves
  • mother returns
  • both adults leave
  • stranger returns
  • mother returns
  • utilises concept of secure base — allows child to maintain balance between closeness and exploration
  • maternal sensitivity was linked to quality of attachment
• ainsworth's categories of attachment

  attachment can be categorised as:

  • secure
  • insecure-avoidant
  • insecure-ambivalent
  • main + soloman - disorganised

  attachment relationships tend to be stable over time, and securely attached children demonstrate benefits through childhood and adolescence eg. greater success in maintaining friendships
• secure attachment

  infant plays with toys and maybe interacts with stranger while mother is present

  • shows distress when mother leaves but accepts comfort on return
  • grossman - linked to sensitive caregiving
• insecure-avoidant

  infant is distant and aloof

  • isn’t distressed when mother leaves and ignores her on return
  • isabella - linked to impatient and unresponsive caregiving
• insecure-ambivalent

  adapts poorly to strange environments and doesn’t interact with stranger

  • very distressed when mother leaves to the extent of rejecting comfort
  • isabella - associated with inconsistent caregiving
• disorganised

  main + soloman - no observable way of dealing with stress

  • inconsistent behaviours and wariness of mother
  • mains + soloman - loosely associated with fearful caregiving
• limitations of attachment theory

  • culturally biased - babies in germany and japan show different attachment patterns
  • attachment is a quality of relationships not an individual trait
  • children can have different attachment styles for different parents
  • kagan - could be a measure of temprament
  • underestimates the role of resilience
• resilience

  normal development under difficult conditions

  • attachment style isn’t always stable over time
  • beijersbergen - children who have little maternal support in childhood but more in adolescence can gain attachment security
  • van ijzendoorn - maltreatment affects rates of attachment styles but doesn’t determine them
• new developments in attachment

  • focus on recognition of alloparenting eg. grandmother effect as well as monotropy
  • presence of any supporting adult is strongest predictor of resilience
  • risk of post-partum depression is lower when a mother is supported by others
  • small hierarchy of attachments may be best
  • winnicott - mothers sensitive response is important but so is allowing infants to experience frustration
  • aim is a good enough mother who can balance responsiveness and independence