PSYC 205 Lecture Notes - Dazed, Prosocial Behavior, Attachment In Adults
-------------------------------- PT. 1: INFANCY --------------------------------
What is attachment?
Attachment: an enduring emotional tie between 2 people
oInfants form attachment to caregiver(s) first.
oSee attachments start forming during 2nd half of the first year of life.
Why do infants become attached?
Ensuring survival - young infants are very dependent on caregivers
Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud): infants become attached to caregivers bc
caregivers fulfill ORAL needs thru feeding - Quality of relationship with early caregivers is also a
model for attachment thru future relationships.
Behaviorism: also thought that feeding is important reason for attachment bc caregivers
provide relief from hunger; drive reduction; babies associate caregiver w/ relief from
discomfort
(René Spitz) - made a documentary on orphans that observed that although these babies were given
all necessary nutritional needs, these orphans being separated so long early on from
caregivers resulted in delay in physical growth & psychological problems & failure to thrive.
(Harlow & Zimmerman study) - 2 surrogate moms, one made of soft Terrycloth (warmth, softness,
provides no food) and other made of hard Wire-mesh (provides food). Monkey babies separated
from mothers. Which of these surrogates would baby monkey become attached to?
Psychoanalytic theory says: WIREMESH bc it provides food.
However, results of this study show:
oexperiment 1 - monkey goes to spend most of time with terrycloth surrogate
despite how wire surrogate is the feeding source;
oexperiment 2 - they scared the baby monkeys and he runs to the soft terrycloth
"mother," contact w/ the mother changes his entire personality and monkey even starts
to try to scare away the threat.
Ultimate result - Feeding is not basis for attachment!
(Lorenz) discovered imprinting behavior; once baby ducks/geese are born, they follow the first large
object that they see; typically first large object would be mother, but instead Lorenz would imprint
himself as the first large object; he even went into the water to help teach these baby ducks/geese to
swim.
Ethology - studies the adaptive functions of animal behavior
Attachment thru imprinting is also likely for human babies too.
(John Bowlby's Ethological Theory) - influenced by: ethology and psychoanalysis. - Attachment serves
adaptive function; keeps baby close to the caregiver for safety. Quality of early caregiver
relationships are what causes attachment, not imprinting. Early caregiver relationships provide a
model for future relationships - such as foundation of trust, etc.
Internal working models - based on real relationship experiences in early childhood.
Thru internal working models, they are developing working models of themselves and others;
<ex> that other people will be there for them, being able to trust others; take these models to
future relationships in terms of what u expect from relationships with other people.
o<ex> keeping close/track of caregiver - feel upset when they are gone
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o<ex> go to caregiver when scared
o<ex> engaging with caregiver
o<ex> show/share with caregiver what they've done
o<ex> comforted upon caregiver return - stranger anxiety
<ex> greeting caregiver
How do we know an infant is attached?
Separation anxiety - fear of being away from a caregiver - typically occurs 1st year of life
(peaks 10-14 mo.), declines at preschool years
Stranger anxiety - infants may become visibly upset or hide/look for their caregiver
when approached by a stranger - emerges at 6-7 mo. peaks at 8-10mo. Declines at about 1 yr.
Social referencing - looking to someone else for emotional information about how u
should react (think: visual cliff experiment, pay attention to emotional expression of caregiver
to give information about whether they should cross the drop or not.) - when babies are
attached to caregivers, they count on their caregivers to serve as a source of info about what
they should do in various situations
Greetings - when having a reunion w/ caregiver they are going to smile, go to the
caregiver, look to the caregiver, etc.
Secure base behavior - using the caregiver as a base of operations - <ex> new
playground u have never been before; caregiver sits on a bench; child goes to explore a little
bit, then check back at caregiver, go explore some more, check back at caregiver again for
reassurance.
Safe haven behavior - going to the caregiver to receive comfort when feeling distressed
How is infant attachment assessed?
Strange Situation Procedure (Mary Ainsworth) - a tool to assess infant-caregiver attachment
Typically used with 1-2 yr. olds.
"Strange situations" - series of separations and reunions w/ the caregiver
Watch reactions of babies to strange situations to get a sense of their infant-caregiver
attachment
Infant Classifications ***look for examples on lecture PPT for In-class Activity #4***
oSecure (62%) - explore freely in the room in the presence of the caregiver; often
see secure base behavior; won't rly explore when caregiver leaves the room, becomes
upset; when caregiver returns, they greet caregiver warmly upon reunion; when upset,
easily soothed by caregiver thru safe haven behavior.
oInsecure-Avoidant (15%) - not particularly upset upon separation; upon reunion,
may turn away from caregiver; "not a big deal when caregiver leaves or comes back"
oInsecure-Resistant (9%) - very distressed by separation; not easily soothed when
reunited w/ caregiver, unlike secure babies; often engage in proximity-??
behavior ("want the caregiver, but also pushing them away")
oDisorganized/Disoriented (~15%) - relatively rare; lack of a coherent strategy in
the context of the strange situation; parent's behavior is also typically erratic; may do
bizarre confused behaviors, dazed facial expressions, may look fearful, may stand in the
corner or throw themselves on the floor - these babies are most at risk for future
relationships with others/future development
Influences on secure attachment
Quality of care
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Attachment: an enduring emotional tie between 2 people o o. See attachments start forming during 2nd half of the first year of life. Ensuring survival - young infants are very dependent on caregivers. Psychoanalytic theory (sigmund freud): infants become attached to caregivers bc caregivers fulfill oral needs thru feeding - quality of relationship with early caregivers is also a model for attachment thru future relationships. Psychoanalytic theory says: wiremesh bc it provides food. mother, contact w/ the mother changes his entire personality and monkey even starts to try to scare away the threat. Ethology - studies the adaptive functions of animal behavior. Attachment thru imprinting is also likely for human babies too. (john bowlby"s ethological theory) - influenced by: ethology and psychoanalysis. Attachment serves adaptive function; keeps baby close to the caregiver for safety. Quality of early caregiver relationships are what causes attachment, not imprinting.
