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Introduction to Attachment

PSY344

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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)?

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Attachment’s Function/Goal:

Keeping Caregivers Close

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Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness

Protection from predators and . . . conspecifics

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Attachment makes social contact a psychological reality You carry feelings of being with other

inside you

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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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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.

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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.’

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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

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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.

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.