Psychology Introduction to course Needs Maslow Erikson Attachment.
Messinger1 Introduction to Attachment PSY344. Messinger2 Introduction to Attachment PSY344.
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Transcript of Messinger1 Introduction to Attachment PSY344. Messinger2 Introduction to Attachment PSY344.
Messinger 1
Introduction to Attachment
PSY344
Messinger 5
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)?
Messinger 6
Attachment’s Function/Goal:
Keeping Caregivers Close
Messinger 7
Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness
Protection from predators and . . . conspecifics
Messinger 10
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
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.
Messinger 14
Levels of attachment organization
Attachment behaviors - Promote proximity (function/goal)
Attachment system - Organization of behaviors to achieve goal
Attachment bond - Child’s affectional tie
Messinger 16
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
Messinger 17
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
Messinger 18
Multiple attachments
Infants form attachments to many caregivers
A hierarchy is assumed– In which infant turns first to primary caregiver
Role of fathers
Messinger 19
Attachment makes social contact a psychological reality You carry feelings of being with other
inside you
Messinger 20
Attachment motivates behaviors through feelings Forming attachment Maintaining
attachment Threat of loss Actual loss
Falling in love Loving someone (joy)
Anxiety Sorrow/mourning
What forms the basis for attachment relationships? (cont)
Harlow’s studies and the rejection of “drive reduction” explanations– Spitz (1946) noticed that infants in orphanages
(who were adequately nourished but had no loving attention) did very poorly
– Harlow’s surrogate mother studies examined relative influence of feeding vs. contact/comfort on attachment
Messinger 22
Intellectual History
Old dominant theory: – Affection/attachment to mother originate because
mother is the source of food 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 demonstrates this is incorrect– Harlow movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsA5Sec6dAI
Harlow’s Surrogate Mother Studies (cont)
From Blum (2003)
Messinger 27
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
Messinger 28
Secure Base
Secure attachment to surrogate allows for exploration of feared situation
Messinger 31
Key Attachment Concepts examined by Harlow Contact with attachment figure Retreat to attachment figure when afraid Become less afraid Use attachment figure as secure base from
which to explore
Messinger 33
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)
Messinger 35
Attachment disorders: Romanian adoptees
http://www.chrisgibbs.com/pages/romania.html
Messinger 36
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.
Describing secure and insecure attachment
Brunner & Messinger
43
Measuring attachment security
A construct (secure attachment)
Is different than its measurement or operationalization
Attachment security can be measured with a Q-sort (an intricate rating system)
Prototypically measured with the Strange Situation (12 – 36 months at least)
Measuring Attachment Ainsworth’s (1978) Strange Situation
– Seven episodes increasing amount of stress (e.g., unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar adult, brief separation from parent)
– Of interest is how attachment behaviors are organized around parent
– Attachment classification based primarily on reunion behaviors
See example at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU (van Ijzendoorn)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH1m_ZMO7GU (different attachment types)
Attachment Classifications
Secure Attachment (Type B; 65% in NA)– –
Ambivalent/Insecure-Resistant (Type C, 15% in NA)– –
Insecure/Avoidant (Type A, 20% in NA)– –
Disorganized (Type D, very rare)– –
46
Attachment system
Stress activates the attachment system & reveals the child’s strategy
Security is an equilibrium Avoidance is deactivation/shutting down Resistance is over-activation/acting up
49
Cross-cultural assessment
2,000 Ainsworth strange situation classifications obtained in 8 different countries.
Intracultural variation was nearly 1.5 times the cross-cultural variation.
– Some samples from one country resembled those in other countries more than they did each other.
Cross-cultural differences– Avoidant classifications emerge relatively more prevalent
in Western European countries – resistant classifications relatively more frequent in Israel
and Japan.
50
Strange Situation protocol8 episodes, 3 min. each 1: mother given instructions outside room 2: mother & child in room 3: stranger enters 4: 1st separation (stranger present) 5: 1st reunion 6: 2nd separation (baby alone) 7: stranger reunion 8: 2nd reunion
51
Reunion coding scales
Proximity seeking Contact maintenance Avoidance Resistance 1(low) -7 (high) Disorganization
– 1 to 9
52
Overall strategy
A – Avoidant – Avoid caregiver
B – Secure – Seek and be comforted by caregiver
C – Resistant– Seek caregiving without surcease
D – Disorganized– Lack a coherent strategy
Videos
53
55
Proximity seeking behaviors
Immediate (vs. Delayed) approach to mom Purposeful and effective approach Going all the way to mother and making
contact Reaching for pick up
57
Contact Maintenance Behaviors
Resisting release, clambering up after being put down
Protesting release by crying Clinging on attempted release Remaining in contact after being put down
i.E. Holding on to mother’s knee
60
Avoidance Behaviors
Delay in responding to mom’s entrance Ignoring mom’s entrance; No greeting
given Busying self with toys at point of reunion Gaze aversion when mom bids Trying to go past mom out the door Orienting body away from mom
62
Resistance Behaviors
Angry mood, pouting, petulance, distress, cranky fussing, temper tantrum
Squirming when held Rejection of toys when mom offers Not easily calmed Crying after being calmed Crying in response to increased proximity
63
Disorganization
Inexplicable behavior– No goal/strategy
Behavior suggests infant fears caregiver Disorganized behavior should occur with
caregiver and is given more weight if it occurs early in reunion
64
Coding disorganization
“Behavior indicative of conflict, fear, and confusion in relation to their attachment figure . . . Sequential or simultaneous display of contradictory behavior patterns; undirected, misdirected, incomplete, and interrupted movements and expressions; stereotypes, asymmetrical movements, mistimed movements, and anomalous postures; freezing, stilling, and slowed movements and expressions; and direct indexes of apprehension, disorganization, or disorientation.” (Belsky et al., 1996)
65
Disorganized behavior
Sequential/simultaneous displays of contradictory behaviors
Incomplete and stereotypic movements Freezing/stilling/slowing Indices of apprehension A 9-point Disorganization scale where
scores of 5+ indicate disorganization.
66
Physiology
Disorganized infant have higher stress reactions (salivary cortisol) than other infants – in the Strange Situation– two studies– Reasonably stable categorization– R=.34 over x 25 months
– Meta-analysis: Van Ijzendoorn, Schuengel, & Bakermans-Kranenburg (1999)
Higher heart rate for avoidant infants