Chapter 11Attachment: From the Cradle to the GraveAttachment: What is it? (an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across space and time. Usually, attachments are discussed in regard to the relation between infants and caregivers, although they can also occur in adulthood)The nature and formation of human relationships, beginning in infancyThe formation, patterns, and subsequent outcomes of a child’s first bonding relationship, usually between child and caregiverA lifelong construct that shapes how we view the world, interact with each other, and deal with everyday life as social beingsEmotionally salient experiencesWhy?Why should we study this?Why do babies attach to their caregivers?The Father of Attachment TheoryJohn Bowlby- first family therapistAttachment Theory- theory based on John Bowlby’s work that posits that children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments with caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survivalWWII44 Juvenile Thieves (1944)Jimmy RobertsonDissatisfied with current theoryRevolutionAttachment system and set of related behaviors are biologically based and developed through the process of natural selectionInfants who desired to remain in proximity to their caregivers were protected and more likely to surviveAttachment behaviors (signaling and active) have a predictable outcome – proximity; Children are naturally predisposed to display these behaviors in times of distressOther beneficial outcomes may include….?Revolutionary!For something to be evolutionary – must be shared by all members of a species; must be concerned with survival of genes.Definition Revisited“The biologically based desire for proximity that arose through the process of natural selection” (Cassidy, 2008).One of many behavioral systems that help to enhance reproductive fitnessNeeds no inherent motivationWorks in tandem with related behavioral systems to ensure survival and growthIn particular, EXPLORATORY and FEARKeys to AttachmentThink about attachment as a complementary system to exploration: Secure Base and Safe HavenSecure Base – presence of an attachment figure (trusted caregiver) serves as a secure sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environmentSafe Haven – a haven of safety to return to in times of trouble (when attachment system is activated).Formation of Attachment relationshipsAttachment will form in 99.9% of all babies if given the chanceDifferences, then, are not in attachment itself, but in attachment QUALITYBased on the rhythms of the attachment relationship and the infant’s perception itAttachment can form with multiple caregivers, and quality can differ from relationship to relationshipInternal Working ModelsAn internal schema, or child’s mental representation of the attachment figure, of the self, and of relationships in general that is constructed as a result of experiences with caregivers, including the infant / child’s expectations of a caregiver’s likely responsesGuides children’s interactions with caregivers and other people in infancy and at older agesBased on a consistent pattern of interactionEXPERIENCE based“If… then…” through which internal working model is formedStrategiesAinsworth Strange SituationSeries of 8 situations designed to mimic the natural unfamiliarity in the child’s lifeOf note are the separations and reunionsAspects of child’s behavior are observed and coded to be grouped into one of four attachment classificationsStrange Situation- a procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess infants’ attachment to their primary caregiverSecureSecurity results from an internal working model of attachment figures as consistently available: “If I cry, then my mother will hold me”Able to use attachment figure as both secure base and safe havenMay be distressed upon separation and lose interest in toys, but calms easily upon reunion and is able to return to explorationSecurity has been linked with many positive outcomes, such as social competence, better interpersonal relationships, and increased confidence.Insecure-AvoidantAvoidance results from a pattern of rejection or punishment in response to attachment behaviors: “If I cry, then my mother tells me to stop”Shows little distress upon separation, and no approach behaviors upon reunionMay resist close physical contactChildren who are classified as insecure-avoidant tend to turn to the environment to minimize attachment needs (Cassidy, 1994).Avoidance has been linked with a host of negative outcomes, including both internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors (particularly aggression), antisocial behavior, and dissociative states.Insecure-AmbivalentResults from a pattern of inconsistent availability by caregiver: “If I cry, then I don’t know what is going to happen”Unable to use caregiver as a secure baseMay have difficulty in exploration, tending to cling to attachment figure insteadDistressed upon separation, but displays anger and ambivalence upon return, followed by an inability calm self and return to explorationThought to maximize emotion in the interest of keeping caregivers available and responsive (Cassidy, 1994).Ambivalence has also been linked with a number of negative outcomes, including anxiety, internalizing behavior problems, depression, eating disorders, and risky behavior in adolescence.DisorganizedUnable to use attachment figure as a secure base due to lack of coherent attachment strategyResults from an attachment figure who is frightened or frighteningIn Strange Situation, displays contradictory, disoriented, or bizarre behavior – freezing, walking backwards, rocking, collapsing – or overt fear of caregiverCan have underlying classificationDisorganized infant attachment has been linked consistently to increased risk for both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, as well as later dissociation.SummaryNearly all children form attachment, but attachment quality differs from relationship to relationshipAttachment quality is formed through a consistent pattern of interaction and the formation of internal working modelsThere are three types of attachment quality: secure, insecure, and disorganized. These are distinguished through child’s ability to use care giver as a secure base and safe havenImportant to note: Insecurity and disorganization are NOT psychopathologyAttachment in Childhood and AdolescenceAs cognitive abilities improve and
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