Messinger1 Introduction to Attachment PSY344. Messinger2 Attachment defined n What are the levels of...
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Transcript of Messinger1 Introduction to Attachment PSY344. Messinger2 Attachment defined n What are the levels of...
Messinger 1
Introduction to Attachment
PSY344
Messinger 3
Attachment defined
What are the developmental stages of attachment? What are the evolutionary functions of attachment? Describe the attachment system. What are key attachment concepts and what evidence is
there that monkeys evidence these concepts (review Harlow film)?
Messinger 4
Attachment’s Function/Goal:
Keeping Caregivers Close
Messinger 5
Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness
Protection from predators and . . . conspecifics
Messinger 6
Attachment is not bonding
1st hour of life is not a “sensitive period”– In which skin-to-skin contact is necessary
Early contact is not an innoculation– It helps early interaction, not later interaction
But the bonding hypothesis has improved contact between infant and parent right after birth (perinatally)
Introduction to Attachment
Messinger 9Christine Sinicrope
Messinger 10
Attachment Development Stages
1st, indiscriminate, 0-2 months– Whatever obtains/promotes proximity
Both crying and smiling. – But is there research showing that this is the case?
2nd, discrimination, 2-7 months– Discrimination of figures/signals
3rd, 7-24 months, classic attachment stage. – Using locomotion to attain/maintain proximity.
Secure base phenomenon.
4th, goal-corrected partnership, 2 years– language
Stages of Social Development
Phase 1: Newborn Indiscriminate Social Responsiveness (1 to 2 Months)
Phase 2: Discriminating Sociability (2 to 7 Months)
Phase 3: Attachments (7 to 24 Months) Phase 4: Goal-Corrected Partnerships (Year
3 Onward)
Behavior Systems
The attachment system.– Attaining and maintaining proximity to caregivers.
The fear/wariness system.– Coordinates avoidant, wary, or fearful responses to
strangers. The affiliative system.
– Social behaviors and interactions. Exploratory system.
– Engagement in physical environment.
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Levels of attachment organization
Attachment behaviors - Promote proximity (function/goal)
Attachment system - Organization of behaviors to achieve goal
Attachment bond - Child’s affectional tie
Messinger 16
Attachment system
Inherent motivation Organization of different behaviors
– Doesn’t matter how you get to caregiver With single function In a goal-corrected manner
Attachment as an organizational construct
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Attachment bond
Felt bond between mother and child Balance between exploration & proximity Child’s working model of mother Based on perceived accessibility and
responsivity of mother
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Multiple attachments
Infants form attachments to many caregivers
A hierarchy is assumed– In which infant turns first to primary caregiver
Role of fathers
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Attachment motivates behaviors through feelings Forming attachment Maintaining
attachment Threat of loss Actual loss
Falling in love Loving someone (joy)
Anxiety Sorrow/mourning
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Intellectual History
Old dominant theory: – Affection/attachment to mother originate because
mother is the source of food Two versions
– Behaviorist: Contact becomes conditioned reinforcer because it is paired with food, an unconditioned reinforcer
– Learning theory: Primary drive toward food (oral) becomes secondary drive toward contact
Harlow says this is wrong– Harlow movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlfOecrr6kI
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Key Attachment Concepts
Presence of attachment relationship– Contact with attachment figure– Retreat to attachment figure when afraid– Become less afraid
Security of attachment– Use attachment figure as secure base from which to
explore
Critical periods for development of attachment
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Time is spent on cloth mothers
Both wire and cloth fed spend most of their time on cloth surrogate mother– Regardless of which
“mother” fed you
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How this is done
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What happens when you get there They show less fear
when surrogate is there than when surrogate is absent (Fig 14 [H&Z, ‘59])
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More fear without cloth surrogate
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Secure Base
Secure attachment to surrogate allows for exploration of feared situation
Messinger 35
Key Attachment Concepts
Contact with attachment figure Retreat to attachment figure when afraid Become less afraid Use attachment figure as secure base from
which to explore
Messinger 36
Attachment makes social contact a psychological reality You carry feelings of being with other
inside you
Messinger 38
Difference
Presence of attachment is usually a biological given– almost all infants attached
Security of attachment is an individual difference– 2/3 of infants securely attached, 1/3 anxiously
attached (some avoidant, some resistant)
Individual differences in attachment security (and disorganization) http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/
dmessinger/c_c/Infancy/sessions/attach_codes.ppt
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Messinger 41
Attachment disorders: Romanian adoptees
http://www.chrisgibbs.com/pages/romania.html
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Exposure to institutional rearing disinhibited attachment disturbance
Disturbance (from interview) means– Lack of differentiation among adults; – Clear indication that child would readily go off with a stranger;– Lack of checking back w parent in anxiety-provoking situations.
• Rutter, M. and T. G. O'Connor (2004). "Are There Biological Programming Effects for Psychological Development? Findings From a Study of Romanian Adoptees." Developmental Psychology 40(1): 81-94
< 18 months: 16% (13/84) 24-42 months: 33% (15/45)
Stable & little decrease 2-years.
Messinger 44
Romanian adoptees: Odd behaviors
Institutionally reared at UK arrival, – 47% children rocked, 24% self-injurious
behavior, 11% displayed unusual sensory interests
– At 6 years, 18%,13%, and 13%, respectively.
Length of time spent in institutional deprivation was primary factor affecting prevalence & persistence of behaviors.
• Beckett, C., D. Bredenkamp, et al. (2002). "Behavior patterns associated with institutional deprivation: A study of children adopted from Romania." Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 23(5): 297-303. ‘Children aged between a few weeks and 43 months who were adopted from institutional care.’
Messinger 45
Is attachment the whole relationship? Different behavioral systems
– Attachment– Fear/wariness– Exploratory– Affiliative
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Attachment: Narrow versus broad view
Attachment is one of several affective bonds between infant and caregiver – Play, affiliation, friendship might be other types of
bonds e.g., Harlow
Messinger 47
Bowlby says
“A child seeks his attachment figure when he is tired, hungry, ill, or alarmed and also when he is uncertain as to that figure's whereabouts . . . By contrast, a child seeks a playmate when he is in good spirits and confident of the whereabouts of his attachment figure. . . The roles of attachment figure and playmate are distinct . . . [though] it is possible for any one figure at different times to fill both roles.” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 307)
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Attachment & quality of social play
Caregivers occupy many roles vis-à-vis the child: playmate, discipliner, as well as attachment figures
Attachment theory is not clear as to whether the concepts are distinguishable and what type of association is to be expected.
Messinger 49
But Bowlby also says
Attachment develops through any type of social interaction that puts infant in proximity of caregiver.
and “The more experience of social interaction an
infant has with a person [as attachment figure or playmate] the stronger his attachment to that person becomes" (Bowlby, 1982, p. 222).
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Beyond Attachment in monkeys
What type of social contact is sufficient for normative social development?– Cloth surrogate? Mother? Peers?
Normative social development involves functioning in different social roles– Play/interaction roles– Romantic/sexual roles– Parenting roles
Messinger 52
Cloth Surrogate Not Enough
When monkeys placed with peers as adults, they show reduced levels of– Play
little/no interaction or attack
– Sexual behavior ineffective posturing and actions for both sexes
– Parenting behavior Neglectful (refuses nursing)
Messinger 53
Cloth Surrogate Minuses
Surrogate mother cannot hold, interact with, discipline, or encourage infant’s exploration.
Reflexes to clasp and to suck are not counterbalanced by exploration and interaction.
Messinger 54
Are Mothers Enough?
Infants raised by mothers but without peers for seven months, subsequently show reduced exploration of the physical environment and very little play.
Messinger 55
How normative monkey development works Time with mother decreases as,
– encouraged by mother, infants explore objects and play with peers. Peer play becomes increasingly aggressive
and sexualized leading to more mature social/sexual behavior.
Messinger 56
Cloth Surrogate and One Peer Experiment 3 groups reared for 180 days with
– No surrogate, no peer– Surrogate, no peer– Surrogate, peer
After brief separation, tested with peer and mother
Messinger 57
Surrogate/Peer Group
Plays more with peer – (Fig. 19)
Plays more around mother surrogate – (Fig. 20)
Perhaps surrogate provided some degree of security and peer provided some degree of social interaction/stimulation.