Counseling 5670DDr. Cyndi Matthews

ATTACHMENT & EARLY SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Emotional Charades

Emotions•What are emotions?•What is the importance of identifying emotions for counselors?•What is the importance of understanding emotions for counseling?

Emotions: Questions We will be Trying to AnswerWhat is the basic nature of emotions?What is the reason that emotions were developed?What are the basic or essential human emotions?

What are the physiological functions of emotions?•Fight/Flight – protect ourselves•Disgust – helps protect ourselves from exposure to harmful substances•Caregiving – promotes caregiving to ensure caregiving•Sexual Relations – urge to engage propagates the species

Is there a Biological Link to Emotions?What evidence is there?• Basic emotions are universal across cultures• Almost all infants demonstrate expression of basic

emotions. • In reference to neurology, human brains contain

“circuits” for expression emotions that are pre-wired for and responsive to experience.

What is the Function of Emotions (deeper level)?What do emotions do for us in life?• Connection to development of morality & conscience• Essential element of communication• Enhances logical decision making (See Phineas Gage

Matrix)• Emotions relation to overall mental health

How are Emotions Developed?• Range of emotional expression increases dramatically over the first two years of life• Izard’s Differential Emotions Theory• Emotions are a direct product of the underlying neural

processes related to each of the emotional expressions (Genetic/Biological/Evolutionary)

• Sroufe’s Developmental Position• Emotions develop from undifferentiated responses into more

differentiated ones, finally into an integrated emotional repertoire (Learned/Environmental)

What is Emotional Competence?Emotional IQ? Importance?• Awareness of ones emotional states• Detecting others emotions• Using the vocabulary of emotions terms in socially/culturally appropriate ways• Having empathy/sympathy to others emotional experiences• Recognizing that inner emotional states don’t have to correspond to outer expression.• Adaptively coping with negative emotions by using self-regulation.• Having awareness that expression of emotions plays a role in relationships.• Viewing oneself as feeling the way one wants to feel.

What are the Basic Emotions?Evidence indicates that people across a varieties of cultures and exposure to western ideas demonstrate basic emotions.

Some disagreement currently surrounds the universality of contempt and disgust.

The basic facial expressions linked with emotions are the same regardless of culture (e.g. facial expression for happiness in the US does not constitute the facial expression for anger in Asian cultures)

Universality of EmotionsBasic Emotions videoWhy is this important to know?• Evidence points to the existence and agreement on

what constitutes the basic emotions– Fear– Sadness– Happiness/Joy– Anger– Surprise– Disgust

How Do You Feel Poster? Do People always know their emotions/feelings?

Emotional RegulationAdults help children regulate emotionsInteractions in the Still-Face Paradigm experimentIn this experiment a child (3 months old) is place in front of his/her mother.

The mother is instructed to interact pleasantly with their child.

After a certain interval the mother is instructed to be non- responsive to the child.

Emotional Regulation Video(up to about 4:30 or so)

Emotional Regulation• Frequent Responses to the Still-Face Experiment• Others-Directed Behaviors

– Using facial expressions, movements, and verbalization to induce others to interact with the infant in a certain way.

• Self-Directed Behaviors– Looking away from overstimulation, or self

stimulating by rocking, sucking , etc..• (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010)

What can some Parental Roles in Emotional Regulation be with children? • Emotion Coaching• Monitor children’s emotions• View negative emotions as opportunities for teaching• Assist in the labeling of emotions• Coach them in how to deal effectively with emotions• Emotional Dismissing• View their role as needing to • Deny• ignore• change emotions

Attachment: What is it?Attachment Video

Early childhood interactions provide the infant with a working model of self and others.

Bowlby understood attachment as the evolving system between a child and caregiver that ensures the child's physical needs are met and his/her safety.

Attachment: More Than Meeting Basic NeedsHarlow's experiment of wire-mothers and terry-cloth mothers with Rhesus monkeys.

Attachment is more than physical needs; it helps develop a blue-print for relationships the child will develop.

Harlow's Monkeys

Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment• Phase 1: Birth to 2 months • Infants instinctively direct their attachment to human figures. Strangers, siblings, and parents are equally likely to elicit smiling or crying from the infant.

• Phase 2: 2 months to 7 months• Attachment becomes focused on one figure, usually the primary caregiver. The infant learns to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar people.

• Phase 3: 7 months to 24 months• Specific attachments develop. With the development of

loco motor skills, babies seek contact with regular caregivers like mothers or fathers.

• Phase 4: 24 months onward• Children become aware of others’ feelings, goals, and plans and begin to take these into account in forming their own actions.

Bowlbly’s Internal Model• Infants develop an internal model of attachment which includes • The caregiver• The child caregiver relationship• The self as deserving nurturing care• This model affects not only the caregiver relationship, but provides a foundation for future social interactions

Important Concepts in Early Attachment from Bowlby (1988)

• Safe Haven– The idea that when a child is

threatened/stressed s/he can return to a primary caregiver for comfort.

• Secure Base– The idea that a caregiver gives a child

a secure and dependable “base” from which to explore the environment.

• Proximity Maintenance– The tendency of children to stay near

the caregiver to remain safe.• Separation Distress

– The emotional reaction and distress of the child when being separated from a primary caregiver.

How Do Parenting Styles Affect Children?• Authoritarian• a parenting style that has a high level of control and a low level of

warmth and affection. Children from these families tend to have lower self esteem, be less trusting, and more withdrawn.

• “Bigger, stronger, wiser, and kind” - Authoritative• a parenting style with a high level of the caregiver being “in charge”

matched with a high level of caregiver warmth and affection. Children from these families tend to be more mature, independent and academically successful.

• Permissive• a parenting style that has a low level of control and a high level of

warmth and affection. Children from these families tend to be low in self-reliance and self-control and have trouble adjusting to school.• Uninvolved• A parenting style that has a low level of control and a low level of

warmth and affection. Children tend to be passive, uninterested, distant, and neglectful and have trouble in school.

Perhaps:Where do Attachment Styles Originate?Problem with this question????• Secure – responsive parents• Anxious-Ambivalent – insensitive to child’s needs• Avoidant-Insecure – rejecting and angry• Disorganized – unknown responses of parents

Bowlby Attachment Patterns

and Styles• Securely Attached• Anxious-Ambivalent-

insecurely attached• Avoidant-insecurely

attached• Disorganized-Disoriented-

insecurely attached

• (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010)

Strange Situation ExperimentThe Strange SituationStrange situation experimentStart at about 1:30Measurement technique developed by Mary Ainsworth and

her colleaguesThree patterns of infant response

Securely attachedAnxious ambivalent – insecurely attachedAvoidant – insecurely attached

Fourth pattern first detected by Main and Solomondisorganized/disoriented – insecurely attached

Securely Attached• Initially present as anxious and

tearful when separated from primary caregiver, and cheerfully greets her upon return.

• Once they are reassured of caregiver’s they often feel safe to explore

• Develop increasing tolerance for separation

• 65% of 1-year olds (Ainsworth, 1978) and, Thompson (1998) found that the majority of infants followed this pattern.

Qualities Associated with Securely Attached Children• Responded promptly and consistently to crying in 1st

year.• Who the baby tenderly and often• Handled the baby with sensitivity• Face-to-face interaction were responsive to the

baby’s signals.

Anxious Ambivalent-Insecurely Attached• Accounts for about 10% of most studies samples• Respond by distress at separations from

mother/caregiver, just as other babies do.• At reunion child acts ambivalent towards

mother/caregiver; alternating between seeking her/him out and avoiding/resisting her angrily

• Rarely return to exploration

Qualities associated with Anxious/Ambivalent-Insecurely Attached Children?• Inconsistent in responsiveness to crying• Affectionate but awkward in holding• Unresponsive in face-to-face interactions

Avoidant- Insecurely Attached• Account for 20% of most samples.• Separation-fail to cry or become upset.• Reunion

– Actively avoid mother/caregiver by either turning away or actually moving away.

– Studies indicate increased heart rate; indicates that children are seeking out means other than mother/caregiver to allay anxiety.

What are the Qualities associated with Avoidant-Insecurely attached children• Parents avoid holding baby• Rejecting/angry• Less warmth & affection

Disorganized-Disoriented-Insecurely Attached.• Typically difficult to classify• Exhibit behaviors of seeking mother/caregiver out;

avoiding her/him when s/he approaches the child.

What are Additional Factors in Caregiver-Infant Relations?• Infant Temperament• Cultural Context (Movie: Babies)• Socio-economic status (time

spent, $ care)

What is Infant Temperament?Where Does Temperament Come From?• Definition

individual emotional & behavioral characteristics• Characteristics– Fearfulness/reactivity- response to new

stimuli– Irritability/negative emotionality- tendency

to react with fussiness to frustrating events– Activity level - intensity & quality of movement– Positive affect - smiling & laughing, esp. @

social stimuli– Attention-persistence-duration of

orientation/looking– Rhythmicity- predictability of

feeding/sleeping/elimination– (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010)

Chess & Thomas’Infant Temperament Classifications• Easy Child (40%)• Generally positive in mood, quickly establishes regular routine, and

adapts easily to new experiences. • Difficult Child (10%)• Reacts negatively and cries frequently, engages in irregular routines,

and is slow to accept change.• Slow to Warm up Child (15%)• Low activity level, somewhat negative, and displays low intensity of

mood.• Variable Child (35%)• Cannot Classify child into a category•WHAT IS THE EFFECT ON THE PARENT OF THE TEMPERAMENT OF THE CHILD?

Kagan’s Behavioral Inhibition: INFANTS• Inhibition to the unfamiliar• The difference in temperament may be a result of a child’s

natural reaction to the unfamiliar. Inhibited children tend to demonstrate avoidance, distress or flattened affect when in unfamiliar situations.

• Inhibited Children• Shy• Subdued• Timid• Uninhibited Children• Extraverted • Bold• Sociable

Rothbart and Bate’s Classification• Extraversion/surgency • Positive anticipation• Impulsivity• Activity level• Sensation seeking • Negative Affectivity• Fear• Frustration• Sadness• Discomfort• Effortful Control (self-regulation)• Attention focusing and shifting• Inhibitory control• Perceptual sensitivity• Low intensity pleasure

•WHAT CAUSES ATTACHMENT STYLE?•WHAT CAUSES TEMPERAMENT OF THE CHILD?•WHAT CAUSES PARENTING STYLE?• IMPICATIONS FOR COUNSELOR? PARENTS?

FINDING CAUSES?

What are SES Effects on Attachment?• Vaugh et al. (1979) study indicated that 10 children

moved from securely attached to insecurely in the span of 6 months when observing low income families

• Stressful events for caregivers can effect infant. HOW?– Financial Stresses– Marital Discord– Addictions

Cultural Effects on Attachment?• “Stressful Situation” experiment has shown varying

effect across different cultures (E.G. less insecure attachment in Japan; More insecure attachment in Germany)

• Sensitive Caregivers effects on the quality of attachment are shown to be universal (though the definition of sensitive is culturally-bound)

Variations in Attachment• Mother/Father/Multiple Caregivers

tend to develop similar attachment– Consistent model of self &

attachment which extends to others– Similarity in caregiver sensitivity

• Stability & Change– Low SES are more likely to shift

between security or insecurity– Changes generally occur in 2nd year.

After toddlerhood, changes are slightly more permanent.

Does early Attachment Effect Later Life?• 4 yrs– Children rated secure at 18 mo.

Were seen as appropriate in levels of dependence, seeking help when needed

– Children rated insecure at 18 mo. Were seen as helpless, acting out, and passively avoid seeking help.

• 10 yrs– Children rated secure at 18 mo.

More likely to be self-confident and better social skills

– Children rated insecure at 18 mo. Were less likely to be confident and have better social skills.

Adult Attachment Patterns (AAI)• Secure-Autonomous

– Value relationships believe their personalities were influenced by them

– Ability to talk openly & objectively about early experiences both good and bad.

• Insecure/Fearful– Unresolved-Disorganized• Parents who made irrational and

inconsistent comments• Often disorganized-disoriented

attachment type• Dismissive Type• Relationships not valued, recalled, or

considered important• Frequently had Avoidant Attachment as

infants• Preoccupied/Entangled Type• Preoccupied with their parents, still

trying to please• Seem confused/angry/very passive.• Typically Ambivalent attachment type

http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/measures/content/aai_interview.pdfhttp://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-bin/crq/crq.pl

So What Can a Counselor DO?• Provide a voice for the baby/child – what is normal• Provide support for the parents• Help parents learn new skills• Floor time• Share experiences with the child

• CASE Study: p. 146-147 Angela & Adam

Play Developmenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhF6E7zHqWI

• Solitary (0-2 years)– Plays by him/herself

• Spectator (2- 2 ½ years)– Observes children playing around him/her but little

interaction• Parallel (2 ½ -3 years)

– Plays alongside others, but not with them• Associate (3-4 years)

– Interaction develops and fleeting cooperation. Develops preferences for playmates.

• Cooperative (4-6+ years)– Plays together with shared goals with other children

– (Santrock, 1999)

Friendship Development (R.L. Selman) (Asher & Gottman, 1981)• Stage 0: (3-7 years)

– Child has momentary playmates based on proximity and convenience. No concept of long-term friendship, just encounter-by-encounter experiences

• Stage 1: (4-9 years)– One way assistance: a friend is

someone who helps you. A good friend is someone you know better than others.

• Stage 2: (6-12 years)– Fair weather cooperation:

Development of interpersonal interactions. Reciprocity develops, but sustained focus on individual incidents.

• Stage 3: (11-15 years)– Intimacy and mutuality develop in

this stage with a focus on continuing relationships.

• Stage 4: (12-adulthood)– Perspectives can be shared on

common interest and deeper feelings. Formation of a network.