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Chapter 14Attachment and Social Relationships
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Attachment

• Attachment is defined as a close emotional bond
  between an infant and a caregiver
• Close relationships provide
• Learning experiences
• Social support

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Attachment Theory

• Bowlby A strong affectional tie that binds a
  person to an intimate companion
• Helps regulate distress by proximity seeking
• By about 6-7 months
• Ainsworth special, irreplaceable people
• Desire to maintain proximity
• Derive a sense of security
• Bowlby normal environment important

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Ethology

• Konrad Lorenz Imprinting
• Critical period
• Irreversible
• Humans Attachment
• Sensitive period
• Predisposed

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Major Studies on Attachment

• Harry Harlow
• Direct criticism of Freud
• Wire monkey
• Cloth monkey
• Contact comfort is key

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• Mary Ainsworth Strange Situation
• Separation anxiety 6-8 mo
• Peaks around 14-18 mo
• Gradually wanes
• Stranger anxiety 8-10 mo
• Declines during 2nd yr

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Ainsworths studies

• 4 different types of attachment
• Secure attachment
• Insecure avoidant attachment
• Insecure resistant attachment
• Insecure disorganized attachment

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• Caregiver provides contact comfort
• Ainsworth Strange Situation Test
• Secure attachment most
• Insecure attachment categories
• Inconsistent care gt resistant
• Insensitive stimulation gt avoidant
• Rejection, impatient, resentful
• Intrusive
• Abusive gt disorganized/disoriented

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Effects of Social Deprivation

• Infants grieve when separated from caregiver
• Recover 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
• Reactive Attachment Disorder

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Later Outcomes

• Securely attached child
• Cognitively and socially competent
• Expect positive reactions
• Insecurely attached child
• Withdrawn, dependent, fearful
• Less competent
• Patterns last through adolescence

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Conclusions

• Attachment to fathers, grandparents, etc.
• Can compensate for poor attachment
• Secure attachments may change
• Stressful events divorce, illness
• Insecure attachments may change
• Lifestyle improvements
• Later relationships influenced by nature of early
  attachment

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Childhood Peers

• Important for social development
• Piaget equal power among peers
• Requires cooperation, negotiation skills
• Sullivan Peers important after age 6
• Changing interpersonal needs
• Harris Parental influence is overrated
• Peers more important for development

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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

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Caregivers Attachment to Infant

• Early contact not crucial nor sufficient
• Neonatal reflexes endearing e.g., smiling
• Cooing and babbling early conversations
• Synchronized routines
• Peek-A-Boo
• Sensitive responding a must
• Over-stimulation/under-stimulation

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Infants Attachment to Caregiver

• Social responsiveness
• At birth undiscriminating
• 2-6 mo preferences develop
• Proximity seeking
• 6 mo to 3 yr
• Attachment figures
• Mental representation abilities needed

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Peer Relations

• 18 mo first peers
• Turn taking
• Reciprocal play
• Age 2-12 increasing time spent
• Same sex peers
• Similar age and play preferences

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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 development
• Social skills

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Peer Acceptance

• Sociometric techniques
• Most popular kids
• Attractive, intelligent
• Socially competent
• Rejected kids
• Highly aggressive
• Socially isolated, overly sensitive, submissive

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Adolescents

• Parents still important
• Boy-girl friendships and dates
• Dating Dunphys phases
• Initiation Status Affection Bonding
• Friendships More intimacy
• Friends similar psychologically
• Cliques and crowds
• Increased conformity

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The Adult

• Social networks shrink
• Closer to family
• Romantic attachments
• Adult friendships valued
• Important to have one confidant