Attachment

• Dependency theory


  Freudian theory.

  To have their biological needs satisfied. Develops preference for the primary caregiver because she meets these needs.

  Essentially the focus is on the needs being meet and the caregiver is incidental, only dependent because of an association with needs meet.
• How was the dependency theory applied socially

  The orphanage system
• What problems were identified with the orphanage system.

  Children's development affected: less physically and psychologically healthy, struggled scholastically,

  
  

  Fostered children's development was better, linked to environment.
• Cupboard love theory


  Criticism of dependency theory.

  Once children old enough to independently meet physiological needs why don't they drop affection for the mother, they clearly don't do that, they have an attachment to her suggesting it was never about just meeting biological needs.
• What's imprinting


  "Immediate" bond to first thing you see. (EG ducklings bond with man who was in their visual field first before mother duck)
• What research prompted people to consider alternatives to dependency theory

  Imprinting
• Rhesus Monkey Experiment showed what results


  Monkeys isolated with biological needs meet didn't know how to respond to social interaction once resocialised.

  
  

  Preference for comfort rather than food (cloth mother)

  
  

  Affected ability for mating (biologically affected). Isolated monkey didn't know what to do.

  
  

  Cycle of abuse: females were not maternal, abusive and neglectful of children.
• What assisted re socialising the monkeys in normal society after isolation?


  Pairing isolates with juvenile monkeys helped them with social skills
• What science did imprinting come from

  ethology
• What other failings lead to attachment theory

  Orphanage system (practical application of dependency theory), imprinting (ethology) and rhesus monkey experiments.
• attachment theory


  Infants motivated by intangible feeling of safety and security.

  
  

  Evolutionary theory, developed by bowlby, evolution has equipped us with the "attachment behavioural system"
• When is the attachment behavioural system begin and when is it the strongest and why?

  First 3 months.

  
  

  When they start locomotion: when they are most vulnerable.

  
  

  9 months: strongest stranger anxiety.
• What is the attachment behavioural system

  From attachment theory.

  
  

  Developed by bowlby.

  
  

  Evolutionary theory.

  
  

  Control system (like thermostat) with set goal to maintain particular state.

  
  

  Primary caregiver to maintain proximity set goal.

  
  

  Proximity ensures survival.

  
  

  Behaviour turned on until set goal reached (crying until mum returns)
• How is attachment behavioural system best demonstrated in action

  Through separation and reunion
• A baby is crawling around constantly looking back. What does this indicate? Or when a little older at the park "mum look at me"


  Attachment behavioural system kicking in (attachment theory) seeking primary caregiver to be in close proximity especially when moving into "danger"
• When is the strongest stranger anxiety for baby's according to attachment behavioural system

  9 months.
• Why would children who lost their parents during the war be better off in foster care rather than orphanages ?

  The idea derived from applying attachment theory was that children need a single primary caregiver whom they can rely on.
• What is meant by the critical period of development

  Time limit by which attachment needs to be established.

  
  

  Within first 2-3 years, if it doesn't happen at this time it never happens.

  
  

  Claim incorrect

  
  

  Early deprivation can be overcome
• Do humans ever completely loose capacity to love or form relationships

  No.

  
  

  Deprivation can be overcome.

  
  

  Demonstrated in rhesus monkeys
• Who was Mary Ainsworth and what did she do?

  Added to Bowlby's attachment theory.

  
  

  "Dual motivations in children"

  
  

  Exploration and security.
• What are the dual motivations in Mary Ainsworth's attachment theory

  Exploration and security and the balance of these.

  
  

  Exploration: learning and autonomy

  
  

  Security: safety (mother is secure base)
• When is exploration most important in attachment theory (extended)

  When no danger present
• When is security most important in attachment theory (extended)

  When danger present
• What's the strange situation test?

  Experiment developed by Mary Ainsworth to understand individual differences in parent child relationships.

  
  

  Seeking to turn on and off the baby's "attachment behavioural system" it then assesses baby's behaviour in response to this.

  
  

  Does baby use mum as secure base to explore or is more clingy.
• Patterns of attachment theory measured what? (Mary Ainsworth)

  Attitude to baby

  Attitude to parenting

  Attitude to husband

  Average distance bw mum and Bub

  Response time to crying Bub

  Feeding schedule
• 3 responses in the strange situations test

  A Anxious avoidant

  B Secure

  C Anxious ambivalent
• Strange situations test most common response

  B: Secure (base) 60% western
• Describe "Secure" (B) in strange situations test

  Mums secure base

  
  

  Stranger enters: approach mum

  
  

  Mum leaves: distressed

  
  

  Mum returns: immediate bid for proximity

  
  

  Calms down
• Anxious avoidant (A) pattern in strange situations test

  20% incidence

  
  

  Shows no distress when stranger enters, mum leaves, mum returns.
• Anxious ambivalent (C) pattern in strange situations test

  20%

  
  

  Hypersensitive

  
  

  Usually can't finish test so distressed.

  
  

  Little exploration

  
  

  Hysteria on separation

  
  

  Mum returns: approach yet ambivalent: turn away, aggressive
• Are the attachment behavioural system's is intact in A, B and C baby's? (Ainsley's patterns of attachment theory)


  Attachment behavioural system is intact in A, B and C but it manifests differently depending on environment the primary caregiver creates
• What are the tendencies of the mothers of baby's in A, B and C patterns of behaviour?

  A Anxious avoidant: disliking contact.

  
  

  B Secure: sensitive, infant centred feeding schedule, fast Response time to crying, more time in face to face contact.

  
  

  C Anxious ambivalent: inconsistent
• In order to get attachment needs meet how do "secure" baby's respond ?

  Attachment behavioural system flourishes.

  
  

  
  

  He bids for proximity such as crying and gets need meet immediately.
• In order to get attachment needs meet how do "Anxious ambivalent" baby's respond ?


  Due to inconsistency they never know what to expect, so they get into a "strange situation" and get hysterical.
• In order to get attachment needs meet how do "anxious avoidant"baby's respond ?


  Attachment needs will be meet if not too demanding.

  
  

  They learned mum will always return but they don't like too much of a scene.

  
  

  Cool and calm response ideal to get needs meet.
• Are patterns of attachment only relevant for describing patterns between infants and mothers ?

  No.

  
  

  Patterns observed through early childhood can stay with us until adulthood.
• Problems with Ainsworth's patterns of attachment theory?

  Mother centric.

  
  

  Doesn't take into account cross cultural considerations.

  
  

  All mothers and cultural expectations are the same according to Mary Ainsworth.

  
  

  The context and expectations determine interpretation of strange situations.