Presentation Content

• Attachment Theory Overview• Major Theorists– Brief Biography– Contribution to Attachment Theory

Attachment Theory Overview

Freud’s Influence:“So long as we trace the development from its final

outcome backwards, the chain of events appears continuous, and we feel we have gained an insight which is completely satisfactory or even exhaustive. But if we proceed in the reverse way, if we start from the premises inferred from the analysis and try to follow these up to the final results, then we no longer get the impression of an inevitable sequence of events which could not have otherwise been determined.”

Attachment Theory OverviewAttachment Definitions:

Kail and Cavanaugh (2010): Infant behavior that elicits cargiving from adults (pg.175).

Bolwby (1973): Any form of behavior that results in a person attaining or retaining proximity to some other differentiated or preferred individual, usually conceived as stronger and/or wiser. (pg.292)

Ainsworth (1969): "Attachment" refers to an affectional tie that one person (or animal) forms to another specific individual. Attachment is thus discriminating and specific.– What do we mean by attachment? I lean to a definition which

equates love and attachment.

Attachment Theory Overview

Attachment Definitions cont.

Mahler,Pine, Bergman (1975): Separation and Individuation is the process by which an infant moves from symbiosis with the mother to awareness of separateness from the mother and formation of a relationship with her as a differentiated other.

Siegel (1999): An in born system in the brain that evolves in ways that influences and organize motivational, emotional, and memory processes with respect to significant caregiving figures (pg.67).

Major Attachment Theorists

– John Bowlby

– Mary Ainsworth

– Mary Main

– Margaret Mahler

Major Theorists: Bowlby• John Bowlby 1907-1990– British Child Psychiatrist– Childhood Attachment• Mother is said to have only attended to him for one

hour per day to prevent him from being spoiled. • Nanny attended to him more consistently, but she

moved on when he was age four.– He later described this as a “tragic loss of a mother”

• He was placed in boarding school at age seven

– Performed volunteer work with maladjusted children in his early career

Major Theorists: BowlbyThree Propositions of Attachment Theory

1. When an individual is confident that an attachment figure will be available whenever desired, they will be much less prone to intense or chronic fear than one that does not have this confidence.

2. Confidence in caregiver availability (or lack of) is built up slowly during the years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence. The expectations developed in these years tend to persist throughout life.

3. The expectations of availability and responsiveness of attachment figures that individuals develop during the years of immaturity are fairly accurate representations of the experiences those individuals have had.

Major Theorists: Bowlby

• All children “attach” – Securely– Insecurely

• Attachment relationships constitute the basis upon which offspring are most likely to survive, reproduce and flourish.

• Attachment system functions to curtail anxiety and duress caused by separation that evolved through the child’s desire for proximity with their primary caretaker during times of danger or threat.

• “Secure Base”

Proximity Maintenanc

e

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Attachment Model:

Attachment

Safe Haven

Secure Base

Separation Distress

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Mary D Salter Ainsworth: 1913-1999– Developmental Psychologist – Student of John Bowlby– Conducted research focused on supporting

Bowlby’s attachment theory. • Observed mother child interactions in Maryland and

Uganda.• Published works include the “Strange Situation”

experiment, which yielded formulation of the three attachment styles.

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Styles of Attachment:–Secure–Anxious Avoidant–Anxious Ambivalent

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Secure Attachment Style– 70% of observed children had this style– Used mom as a base from which to explore– Turn around to see of mom is still there– Separation from mom results in protest & crying– Upon reunion mom is greeted with open arms– Upon prolonged separation, will eventually calm

down and play– Moms were observed as being more responsive to

their children, more attentive and attuned.

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Anxious Avoidant Style– 20-25% of observed children had this style– Child presents as being independent • Psuedo-independent• Doesn’t care much if mom is present or not• Connection with mom is inconsistent

– Mom’s not as skilled at responding to child’s cues, afraid of intimacy with child.

– Child characterized by “I don’t need you but don’t go away”

Major Theorist: Ainsworth

Anxious Ambivalent Style– 10% of children had this style– Children were clingy, afraid to explore– Separation anxiety, agitated when mom left– Child would allow moms to pick them up upon return, but

would arch away too. • “I need you, but it hurts when you leave, and I don’t like you

because of that”

– Moms tend to be much like moms in the avoidant style, but with more indulgence. Seems as though moms attempt to soothe dependency needs through their child. Thus both get stuck in a snare of “never growing up”

Major Theorsit: Main

Mary Main (1943 - )– Researcher – Helped to develop the Adult Attachment Inventory

(AAI)– Identified the fourth attachment style form

Ainsworth’s work as Chaotic / Disorganized. – Translated Ainsworth’s child attachment style to

adult attachment styles

Major Theorist: Main

Adult Attachment Styles–Autonomous–Dismissive–Preoccupied–Disorganized

Major Theorist: Main

Autonomous Attachment Style (Secure)– Easily childhood recall experience with parents– Self reliant– Recall painful childhood events without being

overwhelmed– Objective– Incorporates past into the present

Major Theorist: Main

Dismissive Attachment Style (Avoidant)– Indifferent to early attachments– Talks about the present only– Idealized view of parents– Remembers little from childhood• Recollections conflict with others account

– Tend to have an absent parenting style, aloof– Tend to be viewed as detached and cold

Major Theorist: Main

Preoccupied Attachment Style (Ambivalent)– Almost completely focused on their past and

childhood– Flooded with all the bad memories– Predominant emotions tend to include anger,

despair, worthlessness– Present and persistent desire for their past to

change to include favorable childhood attachment

Major Theorist: Main

Disorganized Attachment Style (Chaotic)– Loss of parent(s)– Early abuse and neglect– Chaotic early life– Traumatized– Not able to make sense of childhood or how their

caregivers failed to tend to them. – Lost Souls

Major Theorist: Mahler

Margaret Mahler 1897-1985– Psychiatrist specialized in childhood development– Interested in developing a theory of childhood

psychopathology– Developed a tripatriate model of treatment• Involved mothers in the treatment process

– Operated from the lens of Object Relations theory of psychoanalysis