Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Chapter 14
Attachment and Social Relationships
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Attachment • The case of “Baby Jessica” (p. 385)
– Children are resilient
– Negative early experiences rarely ruin them for life
• Close relationships provide
– Learning experiences
– Social support – the emotional and practical help from others that bolsters us as individuals, and protects us from stress.
– social convoy – a social support system that changes in size and composition over the life span.
– Infant’s social convoy is initially only parents and expands to include relatives, friends, teachers, romantic partners and so on over the life span.
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Attachment Theory
• Bowlby: A strong affectional tie that binds a person to an intimate companion
• Helps regulate distress by maintaining proximity seeking through crying, clinging, approaching, and following to maintain closeness
– By about 6-7 months
• Ainsworth: special, irreplaceable people
– Desire to maintain proximity
– Derive a sense of security
• Bowlby: normal environment important
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Ethology
• Konrad Lorenz:
• Imprinting – innate form of learning in which the young will follow and become attached to a moving object during a critical period; it is irreversible
• Humans: Attachment
– Sensitive period- longer time period and not automatic behavior; caregiver’s response is important
– Predisposed
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Attachment-Related Fears
• Separation anxiety: 6-8 mo
– Peaks around 14-18 mo
– Gradually wanes
• Stranger anxiety: 8-10 mo
– Declines during 2nd yr
• Ainsworth: secure base for exploration
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Attachment video
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Quality of Attachment
• Caregiver provides “contact comfort” – pleasurable tactile sensation; important for attachment
• Ainsworth: Strange Situation Test
– Secure attachment: 60-65% of 1-year olds – sensitive and responsive parenting style -comfortable exploring and using mom as base
– Insecure attachment categories
• resistant - Inconsistent parenting style; often unresponsive (e.g., depressed) - 10% of 1-year olds – ambivalent reaction to caregiver, very distressed when separated from mom, resists physical contact with mom
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Avoidant – rejecting-unresponsive or intrusive-overly stimulating parenting style – 15% of 1-year olds
Rejection, impatient, resentful of mom, do not explore, not wary of strangers
Disorganized/disoriented – frightening (e.g., abusive) or frightened (e.g., overwhelmed) – 15% of infants, - features of both the resistant and the avoidant styles - most insecure, confusion about approaching or avoiding, few strategies for regulating negative emotions
Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 14
Top Related