11.1 The Caregiver-Child Attachment Relationship

emotional deprivation

emotional deprivation and a lack of meaningful relationships with caregivers in early life hinders optimal social and cognitive development

harry harlow

psychologist known for his experiments with rhesus monkeys, demonstrating the importance of comfort over food in attachment

what were harry harlow’s findings?

• both groups of infants spent more time on the cloth mothers

• initially the group fed by the cloth mother spent more time with it then the monkeys fed by the wire mothers

• strongly preferred, likely needed the comfort provided by cloth mother

• cloth mother functioned as “a source of security”

• established that infants require more than their physical needs met to thrive in the world

attachment theory

posits that children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments to caregivers to increase chances of survival — john bowbly

attachment purposes

functions of attachment that include enhancing survival, emotional security, and co-regulation of emotions.

secure base

the idea that a caregiver's presence provides a child with a sense of security, enabling exploration of the environment.

internal working model of attachment

• a mental representation of the self, of attachment figures and of relationships in general

• based on young children’s perception of the extent to which their caregiver can be depended on to satisfy their needs and provide a sense of security

attachment measurement

methods for assessing attachment security through observing behavior and the quality of relationships.

ainsworth’s strange situation procedure

a test for assessing the security of an infant's attachment to their parent through observed behaviors during separations — identified 3 categories

factors that provide insight into the quality of attachment

1. the extent to which as infant is able to use the primary caregiver as a secure base

2. how the infant reacts to brief separations from, and reunions with the caregiver

secure attachment

a positive and trusting relationship with caregivers, where infants use them as a secure base for exploration

insecure-resistant attachment

a clingy behavior where infants stay close to caregivers rather than exploring and show distress when separated

insecure-avoidant attachment

a relational pattern where infants appear indifferent towards caregivers and may even avoid contact

disorganized/disoriented attachment

characterized by confusion in behavior and lack of a consistent coping mechanism in infants facing stress

development of attachment in infancy/toddlerhood

children’s behavior in the strange situation correlates with attachment scores derived from observing their interactions with caregiver over several hours

parental sensitivity

the caregiver's expression of warmth and responsive behavior to a child's needs, strongly predicting attachment styles

differential susceptibility hypothesis

the idea that genetic factors influence how children respond to their environments regarding attachment

epigenetic effects

how environmental factors influence the expression of attachment behaviors, impacting attachment security

SLC6A4 Gene

a gene encoding a serotonin transporter associated with children's attachment behaviors in varying stress environments

DRD4 (dopamine system)

associated with disorganized/disoriented attachment when a infant is in a stressful environment but are associated with greater attachment in a less stressful context

genetic makeup

individuals’ genetic makeup effects both the way in which environmental forces influence their attachment security in childhood and the continuity of attachment security into adulthood

cultural variations in attachment

differences in attachment behaviors across cultures, reflecting diverse caregiver-child interaction styles

socioemotional development

the progression of emotional and social skills, often influenced by early attachment experiences