L1 Lecture 2 Attachment - Tagged

Page 1: Attendance

• Reminder for students to log their attendance on Moodle.

Page 2: Introduction to Lecture

• Title: Attachment Theory

• Course: Human Development

• Presented by: Dr. Katie McArthur (she/her)

Page 3: Overview of Developmental Psychology Course

• Lecture Series Overview:

  • Lecture 1: Cognitive Development

  • Lecture 2: Attachment Theory

  • Lecture 3: Parenting

  • Lecture 4: Adolescence

Page 4: Intended Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

  • Describe key research underlying attachment theory.

  • Identify contributions of Bowlby and Ainsworth to attachment theory.

  • Understand the limitations of attachment theory.

Page 5: Definition of Attachment

• Attachment is defined as:

  • "A deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space."

• Focus of developmental psychologists:

  • Early relationships with attachment figures influence social and emotional development of children.

Page 6: Why Do Infants Attach? - Early Theories

• “Cupboard Love” (Freud):

  • Child's drive centers around feeding, where the mother is seen primarily as a source of food.

• Drive Reduction Learning Theory:

  • Mother perceived as associated with food, leading to attachment driven by need fulfillment.

Page 7: Attachment Bond Evidence

• Attachment is not solely based on food; it involves psychological and emotional comfort.

• Evidence comes from various sources, including ethological research.

Page 8: Harlow’s Monkeys Study

• Conducted by Harry Harlow (1958):

  • Rhesus monkeys raised without mothers, placed in cages with a "wire mother" (nutrition) and a "cloth mother" (contact comfort).

  • Preference for the cloth mother highlights the significance of emotional bonding over mere provisioning of food.

Page 9: Critical Period for Imprinting

• Research by Lorenz (1966):

  • Study on imprinting in animals, establishing a critical period for forming attachments; this concept was thought to be irreversible once past the critical timeframe.

• Highlighted biological mechanisms for attachment in birds.

Page 10: John Bowlby’s Contributions

• John Bowlby (1907-1990):

  • Psychoanalyst who developed attachment theory in the 1940s, deviating from traditional psychoanalytic thought.

  • Influenced by his personal childhood experiences and research in psychiatric settings.

Page 11: Human Research on Attachment

• Rutter et al (1998; 2011):

  • Research on Romanian orphanages suggesting a critical period for attachment formation.

• Bowlby (1944):

  • Conducted retrospective studies linking lack of attachment to ongoing relationship difficulties and behavioral issues (Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis).

Page 12: Studies on Maternal Deprivation

• Skeels & Dye (1939):

  • Study comparing orphans raised in "normal" institutions versus a women's care home directed to show the importance of maternal figures.

• Robertson & Robertson (1971):

  • Findings that children separated from mothers adapted better with attentive substitute caregivers.

• Bowlby et al (1956):

  • Observed no behavioral or social differences in children hospitalized under age 4 compared to control groups.

Page 13: Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis Insights

• Evans & Kelley (2002):

  • Concerns highlighted maternal employment impairing maternal roles; however, emotional deprivation was also addressed.

• Mendolia (2014):

  • Findings indicating children of working mothers did not exhibit higher rates of smoking, low self-esteem, or reduced educational attainment by age 16.

Page 14: Bowlby’s Conclusions

• Central conclusion (Bowlby, 1953):

  • Essential for mental health is a warm, continuous relationship with a primary caregiver that provides satisfaction and enjoyment.

Page 15: Bowlby’s Social Context Perspective

• Emphasizes social context, health, and economic factors regarding attachment.

• Advocated integrating the context in which mothers operate to assist their children effectively.

• Quote: "If a community values its children, it must cherish their parents" (Bowlby, 1951).

Page 16: Bowlby’s Critical Period

• Bowlby proposed a critical period for attachment between 6 months and 3 years, during which continuous love and care are crucial.

• Concept of "Monotropy":

  • Highlighting the importance of attachment to one primary caregiver, with detrimental effects of separation.

Page 17: Mary Ainsworth’s Role

• Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999):

  • Collaborated with Bowlby in developing attachment theory and conducted the first empirical studies on mother-child attachments focused on the concept of the secure base.

Page 18: Ainsworth's Research Methodology

• Ainsworth conducted observational studies of mothers and infants (under 2 years), starting in Uganda and later in the US.

• Introduced the concept of a secure base where the mother enables the child to balance closeness and autonomy.

• Maternal sensitivity is linked to the developmental quality of attachment.

Page 19: The Strange Situation

• Ainsworth's observational framework:

  • Infants (12 months old) observed in 20 minutes across 8 stages involving mother, stranger, and interactions in a playroom setting.

Page 20: Categories of Attachment Quality

• Findings from Ainsworth (1973) categorized attachment as:

  • Secure attachment.

  • Insecure attachment (further categorized into insecure-avoidant and insecure-ambivalent)

  • Disorganized attachment later added by Main & Solomon (1986).

Page 21: Characteristics of Secure Attachment

• Indicators of secure attachment:

  • Infant plays, interacts with the stranger, may show distress upon separation but is easily comforted upon mother’s return.

  • Strongly linked to sensitive caregiving (Grossman et al, 1985).

Page 22: Insecure Avoidant Attachment

• Traits include:

  • Distant behavior in mother's presence, emotionless play, superficial interactions, and ignoring mother upon her return.

  • Associated with impatient or unresponsive caregiving (Isabella, 1993).

Page 23: Insecure Ambivalent Attachment

• Identified behaviors:

  • Difficulty adjusting to new environments, extreme distress upon separation, and minimal interaction with strangers.

  • Linked to inconsistent caregiving (Isabella, 1993).

Page 24: Characteristics of Disorganized Attachment

• Notable patterns include:

  • Lacking organized methods for dealing with stress; displaying inconsistent behaviors and a wary stance towards the mother.

  • Result of frightening caregiving practices, origins of which are complex (Bernier & Meins, 2008).

Page 25: Attachment Styles and Stability

• Research indicates:

  • Stability of attachment patterns over time; securely attached infants often show favorable outcomes in later life (Main & Cassidy, 1988; Schneider et al, 2001).

Page 26: Limitations of Attachment Theory

• Key points:

  • Cultural biases observed in attachment patterns (Grossman et al, 1985; Rothbaum et al, 2000).

  • Attachment is relational, not an individual trait; children may vary attachment security depending on parental figures (Goossens & van Ijzendoorn, 1990; Sroufe, 1985).

  • The role of child temperament may be underestimated (Kagan, 1994).

Page 27: Concept of Resilience

• Resilience is defined as:

  • "Normal development under difficult conditions."

• Findings indicate:

  • Attachment styles can change over time; children with limited maternal support early may still achieve secure attachments later (Beijersbergen, 2012).

  • Maltreatment can affect attachment security but doesn't definitively dictate attachment style (van Ijzendoorn et al, 2011).

Page 28: Evidence of Resilience: Harlow’s Monkeys

• Findings from Harlow's isolation studies show:

  • Disturbed behavior in isolated monkeys, leading to aggression, and withdrawal.

  • Lasting effects beyond extended separations indicated developmental challenges in social interactions and parenting.

Page 29: Harlow’s Later Resilience Studies

• Examined previously isolated young monkeys:

  • Initially withdrawn and socially dysfunctional, exhibited recovery with peer interactions, particularly with younger healthy peers.

Page 30: New Developments in Attachment Theory

• Shift toward recognizing the importance of alloparenting (e.g., grandparental influence).

• Notable findings:

  • Presence of any supportive adult is crucial for resilience against trauma (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2015).

  • Support reduces postpartum depression in new mothers (Kendall-Tackett, 2017).

Page 31: Winnicott’s Contributions

• D.W. Winnicott’s view (1964/1965):

  • Emphasizes a mother’s sensitive responsiveness, allowing infants to face manageable frustrations.

  • Aiming for a "good enough" mother fosters balanced growth and independence.

Page 32: Maternal Employment Impact

• Data from British Youth Panel (1994-2006):

  • Highlights that employed mothers do not necessarily compromise child engagement.

  • Improvements noted in quality time spent, surpassed 1974 levels despite professional commitments.

Page 33: Key Terms in Attachment Theory

• Important terminology includes:

  • Secure attachment

  • Insecure attachment (avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized)

  • Secure base

  • Resilience

  • Monotropy vs. alloparenting

  • The good enough mother

Page 34: Contact Information

• Dr. Katie McArthur

  • Email: katherine.mcarthur@glasgow.ac.uk

  • Office Hours: Tuesdays 11-1 (Online or Room 423, 62 Hillhead Street)

• Reminder to log attendance on Moodle.