Notes on Attachment and Temperament

Attachment and Temperament Notes

Attachment Theory

  • Developed by: John Bowlby in the 1960s.

  • Key Concept: Child's early relationship with primary caregiver is the most critical predictor of personality development.

  • Relation to Disorders: Early attachment experiences can lead to personality disorders.

Importance of Attachment

  • Infants are biologically predisposed to form close bonds with primary caregivers.

  • This bond is crucial for the infant’s survival and emotional development.

Infants’ Social Behaviors

  • Infants recognize human voices and faces, and engage in looking behaviors (e.g., gazing into caregivers’ eyes).

  • Infant needs trigger caregiver responses:

  • Baby cries when needs are not met, creating a reliance on caregiver for trust development.

Stages of Attachment Development (Schaffer & Emerson, 1960s)

  1. Asocial Stage (0-6 weeks): Non-specific social behaviors (smiling, crying).

  2. Indiscriminate Attachment (6 weeks - 7 months): Seeking attention from multiple individuals.

  3. Specific Attachments (7-11 months): Formation of strong attachment to one individual leading to separation and stranger anxiety.

Ainsworth’s Attachment Styles (1970)

  • Three Main Styles Identified:

  • Secure

  • Insecure avoidant

  • Insecure ambivalent/resistant

  • Disorganized style added later by Main and Solomon (1990).

The Strange Situation Experiment

  • Series of controlled separations and reunifications, assessing different attachment behaviors of infants with their caregivers.

  • Behaviors to assess: Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behavior.

Characteristics of Attachment Styles

  • Secure Attachment: Trust in caregiver, positive AND effective reunion behaviors, emotional regulation.

  • Insecure-Avoidant Attachment: Distrust, avoidance of intimacy, indifference to caregiver's return, often viewed as lacking empathy.

  • Insecure-Ambivalent Attachment: Unpredictability, controlling behaviors, disruptive emotions, often appear needy.

Implications for Adolescents

  • Insecure-Avoidant: Feel unloved and view relationships as unimportant; associated with higher substance abuse.

  • Insecure-Ambivalent: Low self-image, difficult to manage, show impulsivity and antisocial behaviors.

Attachment’s Influence on Development

  • Early relationships foster beliefs about self, others, and the world that shape future interpersonal interactions.

  • Negative experiences can lead to maladaptive working models that are resistant to change.

Neuroscience Perspective

  • Emotional and physical exchanges with caregivers facilitate neurological development, creating essential neural networks.

  • Infant’s brain is significantly developed within the first 3 years of life; crucial time for mental health foundations.

Symptoms of Disordered Attachment

  • Behavioral Signs: Impulsivity, aggression, inappropriate behaviour, attention-seeking.

  • Cognitive Functioning: Learning and language disorders, lack of cause-and-effect thinking.

  • Emotional Dysregulation: Intense feelings of anger, low self-esteem, mood swings.

  • Social Functioning: Difficulty in building relationships, lack of genuine intimacy, poor hygiene.

Factors Contributing to Disordered Attachment

  • Adverse early experiences (e.g., neglect, trauma).

  • Lack of attunement and responsive caregiving impacts attachment security.

Therapeutic Approaches for Improving Attachment

  • Establish trust with engaging communication (eye contact, voice tone).

  • Be consistent, predictable, and nurturing, allowing expression of feelings.

  • Validate feelings and provide a safe environment to reduce resistance.

Importance of Temperament

  • Definition: The inherent personality traits that appear early in life, strongly influenced by genetics.

  • Categories of Temperament (Chess and Thomas):

  • Easy (40%): Adaptable to new situations, positive mood.

  • Difficult (10%): Withdrawn, intense reactions, negative mood.

  • Slow to Warm Up (5-15%): Withdrawn, shy, low activity levels.

  • Others (40%): No clear category.

Conclusion

  • Understanding attachment and temperament fosters better emotional and developmental outcomes for children.

  • Strategies for building secure attachments and considering temperament in ways of responding can enrich caregiver-child interactions.