Attachment Theory

Attachment

Attachment : refers to the close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their caregivers.

The Formation of Attachment Theory

Psychology and medicine discouraged emotional affection and physical contact in the early 1900s.

Many Psychologists believed that emotional affection led to poor mental health.

Medical Practitioners noticed a relationship between physical contact and sickness.

The Formation of Attachment Theory

A researcher named Harry Harlow decided to evaluate how contact comfort influence the social development of a group of rhesus monkeys in the late 1950’s.

The Formation of Attachment Theory

• Feed by wire mother • Feed by cloth mother

Attachment Theory

This research led John Bowlby to theorize that infants had a biological need for contact comfort (love).

Infants are biologically programmed to coo, smile, and flirt to get an emotional response from the caregiver (attachment).

Features of Attachment

Proximity Maintenance: the need to be physically close to the attachment figure

Seperation Anxiety: the emotional distress seen when separated from the attachment figure

Safe Haven: retreating to the attachment figure when scared

Secure Base: a feeling of being able to explore the world because of the dependability of the attachment figure

Types of Attachment

Mary Ainsworth, a colleague of Bowlby, expanded attachment theory by type (secure/insecure).

She developed each type through a series of observational studies called “ the strange situation.”

Secure Attachment

Babies will freely explore their environment and occasionally return to parent for comfort.

Babies will cry when parent leaves, but crying quickly stops when parent returns.

Most babies have a secure attachment to their caregiver (60%).

( Insecure) Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment

Babies are reluctant to leave the side of the parent.

Babies show hostility toward parent upon return, often crying for extended periods.

About 10% of babies are found to have anxious-ambivalent attachment.

(Insecure) Avoidant Attachment

Babies show little interest in parent, often not crying when parent leaves.

Upon return, babies continue to show little interest and will not seek contact comfort.

About 15% of babies show an avoidant attachment.

(Insecure) Disorganized Attachment

Main and Solomon (1986) Babies show no consistent reactions. Both anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment

are present. Babies appear to make little, if any, eye contact. About 15% of babies are found to have

disorganized attachment.

Attachment and Personality Development

Secure: confident, trusting, friendly

Anxious-Ambivalent: jealous, not confident, underappreciated

Avoidant: suspicious, aloof, skeptical

Disorganized: moody, fearful, stress sensitivity

Interesting Controversy

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep is a book written by Gary Ezzo (former MVCC student) and Robert Bucknam.

The book encouraged parents to “direct” the feeding, sleeping, and play activities of the newborn.

Attachment proponents became critical calming the book encouraged the disruption of the attachment process.

Guess The Attachment Style

The Grinch

Avoidant?

Guess the Attachment Style

Lindsey Lohan

Anxious-Ambivalent?

Guess the Attachment Style

Dr. Phil

Secure?

References• Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1968), Object relations, dependency, and

attachment: A theoretical review of the infant mother relationship. Child Development, 40, 969-1025.

• Bowlby, J. (1958), The nature of the child’s tie to his mother. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, XXXIX, 1-23.

• Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.

• Ezzo, Gary; Bucknam, Robert (2007). On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep (4 ed.). Parent-Wise Solutions.

• Harlow, H. F. (1958). The nature of love. American Psychologist, 13, 673-685• Hinde, R. A. (1991). Relationships, attachment, and culture: A tribute to

John Bowlby. Infant Mental Health Journal, 12, 154-163.