Transcript The Effects of Blanket Attachment on Play

Attachment
I. What are emotional attachments
II. Theories of attachment
A.Behaviorist approach
1.Drive reduction model
2.Operant conditioning model
3.Problems with the models
B.Psychoanalytic approach
1.Freud’s theory
2.Erikson’s theory
C.Cognitive-developmental approach
D.Ethological approach
1.Background of the theory
2.The developmental course of attachment
III.Measurement of attachment
A.The “strange situation”
B.The attachment Q-sort
C.Patterns of attachment
IV.Factors affecting attachment
A.Maternal deprivation and institutionalization
B.Quality of care-giving
C.Infant characteristics
D.Family circumstances
Theories of Attachment
Behaviorist Approach
The importance of feeding and drive reduction
• Elicits positive responses
• Mothers provide infants with additional
comforts, such as warmth, vocalizations
• All occur in single setting
• Mom becomes source of reinforcement
Theories of Attachment
Behaviorist Approach
Harlow & Zimmerman (1959)
Harry Harlow
• Contact comfort
Theories of Attachment
Behaviorist Approach
Blanket Attachment and Play
B la n k e t A tta c h e d
M e a n D u ra tio n o f P la y
B la n k e t N o n -A tta c h e d
M o th e r
B la n ke t
Toy
N o O b je c t
E x p e rim e n ta l C o n d itio n
Theories of Attachment
Behaviorist Approach
The importance of feeding and drive reduction
• Elicits positive responses
• Mothers provide infants with additional
comforts, such as warmth, vocalizations
• All occur in single setting
• Mom becomes source of reinforcement
Operant Conditioning model
• Infants look, smile, and seek proximity
because mom reciprocates with smiles, hugs
• The greater number of behaviors that get
reinforced by particular person, the more one
is attached to that person
Theories of Attachment
Psychoanalytic Approach
Freudian approach
• Similar to drive reduction
• Become attached to person who satisfies basic
biological drives (typically Mom)
• Relationship with Mom then prototype for
romantic relationships throughout life
Erikson’s approach
• 1st developmental stage: birth – 1 yr: Trust vs.
mistrust
• Children become attached to people who
minister to needs
• Importance of mother’s overall responsiveness
Theories of Attachment
Cognitive-Developmental Approach
Little to say about which people to whom one
becomes attached
• Suggests that attachment depends, in part, on
level of cognitive development
• Must be able to discriminate familiar persons
from strangers
• Must recognize that familiar persons have
permanence – object permanence abilities, as
discussed earlier
• Thus, timing of attachment related to timing
of development of cognitive ability
Theories of Attachment
Ethological Approach
John Bowlby
Central feature of theory
• Babies born with in-born set of behaviors
• Behaviors elicit parent care, thus increase change of
survival
Theories of Attachment
Ethological Approach
John Bowlby
The developmental course of attachment
• The preattachment phase (birth – 6 wks)
• Behavior a matter of genetically determined
reflexive responses with survival value
• Promote physical contact
• Attachment in the making (6 wks – 6/8 mos)
• Orient and respond with preference towards mom
• No specific attachment yet
• The phase of clearcut attachment (6/8 mos – 18/24
mos)
• Shows separation anxiety
• Mom as a “safe haven”
• Formation of a reciprocal relationship (18/24 mos – )
• Decrease in separation anxiety
Theories of Attachment
Ethological Approach
Four phases produce enduring affectionate tie to
caregiver
• Use as a secure based in parent’s absence
• Used as an internal working model
• Produces attachment-related expectations for parental
comfort and support
• Johnson, Dweck, & Chen (2007)
• Habituated to display of small and large ovals
• Tested with responsive and unresponsive caregiver
Measurement of Attachment
The Strange Situation
Mary Ainsworth (nee Salter)
Background
• University of Toronto B.A., M.A., & Ph.D
• Ph.D supervisor – William E. Blatz (child development
and security theory)
• Moved to England in 1950, worked at the Tavistock
Clinic with John Bowlby
• Moved to Uganda in 1953
• Moved to Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
in 1955
Measurement of Attachment
The Strange Situation
Episode
Persons Present
Duration
Description of Activity
1
Mother, baby and
observer
30 sec
Observer introduces mother and
baby to experimental room, then
leaves
2
Mother and baby
3 min
Mother is nonparticipant while baby
explores. If necessary, play is
stimulated after 2 min.
3
Stranger, mother
and baby
3 min
Stranger enters, Min. 1: stranger
silent; Min. 2: stranger talks with
mother; Min 3: stranger approaches
baby. After 3 min., mother leaves
4
Stranger and baby
3 min or
less
First separation episode. Stranger’s
behavior is geared to that of baby
5
Mother and baby
3 min or
more
First reunion episode. Mother greets
and comforts baby, then tries to
settle baby into play. Mother then
leaves, waves bye-bye
6
Baby alone
3 min or
less
Second separation episode
7
Stranger & baby
3 min or
less
Continuation of second separation.
Stranger enters and gears behavior
to that of baby
8
Mother and baby
3 min
Second reunion episode. Mother
enters, greets baby. Stranger leaves
Measurement of Attachment
Patterns of Attachment
Securely Attached
• Distressed during separation
• Seeks out mother during reunion
• About 60% of North-American infants
Insecure – Avoidant
• Unresponsive to mom
• Avoids parent during reunion
• About 15% of North-American infants
Insecure – Resistant
• Seeks closeness to mom, fails to explore
• Combines clinginess and resistant behavior upon
return
• About 10% of North-American infants
Insecure – Disorganized/Disoriented
•
•
•
•
Combination of avoidant and ambivalent/resistant
Confusion over whether to approach or avoid
During reunion may act dazed or freeze
About 15% of North-American infants
Measurement of Attachment
Attachment Q-sort
Observation of 90 behaviors
• “The child greets the mother with a big smile when
entering the room”
• “When the mother moves far away, the child follows
along”
• “The child uses the mother’s facial expression as a
good source of information about something risky”
Sorted into 9 categories
• Not at all descriptive – Highly descriptive
Factors Affecting the Development
of Attachment
René Spitz
Early availability of a consistent caregiver
• Work with institutionalized infants (Spitz, 1946)
• Work with infants in institution with good infantcaregiver ratio, but high staff turnover
• Research on adoption of European orphans
• Indiscriminate friendliness
• ERP differences in the processing of emotional
information
Factors Affecting the Development
of Attachment
Early availability of a consistent caregiver
• Work with institutionalized infants (Spitz, 1946)
• Work with infants in institution with good infantcaregiver ratio, but high staff turnover
• Research on adoption of European orphans
• Indiscriminate friendliness
• ERP differences in the processing of emotional
information
Quality of caregiving
• Impact of sensitive caregiving
• How crucial are such factors?
• Gusii of Kenya
• Mothers in Puerto Rico
Infant characteristics
• Infant difficulties and temperament
• Combination of factors
Family circumstances
• Stressors in the family
• Parent’s own history of attachment
• Internal working models and reconstructed
memories