Attachment

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• developed by John Bowdley

• Theory that clinging behaviour toward parents is normal, biological, with particular characteristics and important in psychosocial development

• Selective clinging and attachment behaviours as evidence of first close personal relationship

• Attachment behaviours

  • separation anxiety

  • crying when mother leaves room, calling for her, crawling/toddling after her

  • clinging hard when anxious, fearful, tired, pain

  • hugging, climbing onto lap

  • talking and playing more in her company

  • using as secure base from which to explore

• Time course

  • Small babies accept separation with equanimity

  • 6-7 months begin showing attachment to another person, usually mother and stranger anxiety

  • Attachment behaviours abate gradually after 3 years

  • sensitive period for attachment between 1 and 4 years

    • after 4 many adoptions can work well

• Person singled out

  • has lot to do with play, comfort

  • not necessarily mother

  • feeding not crucial

  • may be less obvious when reared by extended family

• Comfort object / Transitional object

  • blanket or teddy bear that helps child to settle at night in presence of separation anxiety over mother

  • existence does not indicate insecurity

• Rate separation anxiety wanes depends on

  • temperament of the child

  • the way the mother handles the child

  • what experiences child has of actual/threatened separations

• Affectional bonds

  • internal representation of mother allows child to leave mother without attachment-seeking behaviour

  • secure affectional bonds promote trust and optimism in personal relationships

  • lack of basic trust - shallowness, suspicion, selfishness in personal relationships

Abnormalities

(Strange Situation Test, Mary Ainsworth)

Absent / attenuated attachments

• child appears endearingly friendly to doctor

• does not discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar adults

• appears intimate but relationship broken easily without separation anxiety

• reasons

  • unsuitable circumstances- institutional rearing, emotionally cold rejecting parents

    • general difficulty forming and sustaining close relationships

    • difficulty learning social rules

    • propensity to aggressive, promiscuous, feckless behaviour

  • abnormal child - autistic spectrum

Avoidant/anxious-avoidant attachment

• child has formed selective attachment but insecure

• separation anxiety muted

• on return child indifferent or actively avoids greeting

• may behave aggressively towards mother

• may be personality

  • child dislikes kisses, wriggles off lap

  • good prognosis if recognised

• If arises due to harshness, coldness, rejection by parent

  • aggression towards mother

  • poor prognosis for future antisocial behaviour

Ambivalent/anxious ambivalent

• chronically clingy

• actively cross after briefest separation

• unfortunate mix of mother and child

  • irritable / depressed mother

  • querulous child

• some infants just exceptionally anxious and irritable

• may precede emotional disorders such as school refusal, agorophobia

Disorganised attachment

• profoundly unusual behaviours on return

• bizarre postures for long periods of time, rock compulsively avoiding eye contact

• most strongly associated with abuse and deprivation

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