CHAPTER 14

ATTACHMENT AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Attachment

A deep and enduring connection established between a child and caregiver in the first several years of life.

Attachment

Basic trust and reciprocity Exploration Self-regulation Identity Prosocial moral framework Core belief system Defense against stress/trauma

Attachment

Established in the context of a relationship that includes:

touch eye contact smile and positive affect need fulfillment

Secure Attachment

Self-esteem Independence/autonomy Resilience Impulse control Long-term friendships Relationships with authority figures (including

parents) Prosocial coping skills Trust, intimacy and affection Positive belief systems Empathy, compassion, and conscience Behavioral performance and academic success Promote secure attachment with own children

Disrupted Attachment

Low self-esteem Needy, clingy or pseudo-independent Decompensate under stress Lack self-control Unable to develop/maintain friendships Alienated from/oppositional with parents other

authority figures Antisocial attitudes/behaviors Aggression/violence Incapable of genuine trust, intimacy, affection Negative, hopeless, pessimistic view Lack empathy, compassion, remorse Behavior/academic problems Perpetuate cycle

History of Attachment Theory

John Bowlby Affectionless/homeless children Ethology Bowlby conclusions: instinctual behaviors keep mother close smile is a social releaser certain conditions increase attachment maternal deprivation/separation

traumatic loss causes pathological mourning

Attachment History

David Levy Loretta Bender Harry Bakwin Rene Spitz James Robertson- stages of

emotional reaction to loss/separation

Harry Harlow

The wire and cloth surrogate “mothers” used in Harlow’s research. This infant monkey has formed an attachment to the cloth mother that provides “contact comfort,” even though it must stretch to the wire mother in order to feed.

History of Attachment

Mary Ainsworth Uganda Study Secure Base Phases of Attachment undiscriminating differential responsiveness separation anxiety active initiation stranger anxiety

Mary Ainsworth

Strange Situation Attachment Patterns Secure Insecure Resistant/Ambivalent Avoidant Parenting Dimensions: acceptance,

cooperation, sensitivity, and availability

Developmental Studies

Mary Main longitudinal study disorganized attachment internal working model Allan Sroufe High risk population

Cultural Variations

In U.S., one-third (middle class families) insecurely attached

Percentage higher in high-risk families Results consistent in all cultures Universal and culture-specific aspects of

attachment German replication: avoidant attachment Israeli kibbutzim: ambivalent attachment

Effects of Social Deprivation Infants grieve when separated from

caregiverRecover when reunited or upon

forming new attachments A series of separations more harmful Romanian orphans

Insecure, anxious Difficulty coping with stress

Need sustained interaction with responsive caregivers – one or a few

Romantic Attachment

Adult Attachment Interview (Mary Main)

Secure- balance attachment/autonomy

Preoccupied- abandonment, anxiety/anger

Dismissing- compulsively self-reliant Fearful- self-doubt, lack of strategies

Childhood Peers Important for social development Piaget: equal power among peers

Requires cooperation, negotiation skills

Sullivan: Peers important after age 6Changing interpersonal needs

Harris: Parental influence is overratedPeers more important for

development

Peer Relations 18 mo: first peers

Turn takingReciprocal play

Age 2-12: increasing time spentSame sex peersSimilar age and play preferences

Peer Acceptance Sociometric techniques

Most popular kidsAttractive, intelligentSocially competent

Rejected kidsHighly aggressiveSocially isolated, overly sensitive,

submissive

Peers or Parents?

Harris: The Nurture AssumptionPeers more important than

parentsParental influence overratedSocialization by neighborhood

peersIndividuality comes from genes

Adolescents Parents still important Boy-girl friendships and dates

Dating: Dunphy’s phases Initiation, status, affection, bonding

Friendships: More intimacy Friends similar psychologically

Cliques and crowds Increased conformity

The Adult Social networks shrink Closer to family Romantic attachments remain Adult friendships valued Important to have at least one

confidant

Emotions in Infancy

Timing of emotions biologically programmed Tied to cognitive maturation Evolved to ensure that caregivers respond

Social referencing by 10-12 months Monitor reactions in others to help define

situation, regulate behavior and emotions Modeling, imitation, reinforcement

Emotion Regulation: Learned throughout infancy and childhood

The emergence of different emotions. Primary emotions emerge in the first six months of life, secondary or self-conscious emotions emerge starting about 18 months to 2 years of age.

Play Age 1-2: Pretend play Age 2-5: Social play Age 5-6: Rule-based games By age 11-2: Rule flexibility Play is beneficial

Cognitive developmentSocial skills

In the study by Simpson er al, (2007) relationship quality at each step in development affected relationship quality at the next step.