Attachment (Unit 4)

Question 1

What is attachment?

Answer 1

• Evolutionary theory concerning relationships between humans
• Throughout our lives, we form these important emotional bonds, whether it be a caregiver, parent, romantic partner etc, that lay the foundation for our social and emotional development
• Attachment provides individuals with a sense of security and safety, which then allows them to take chances and explore later on

Question 2

What is Bowlby’s theory of attachment?

Answer 2

• Stresses the importance of attachment in the first year of life and the responsiveness of the caregiver
• Babies & their caregivers are biologically form attachments with one another:
  a) Immediate result of attachment = keep primary caregiver nearby
  b) Long term effect = increase the infant’s chance of survival
  c) Believes that attachment does not emerge suddenly rather, attachment develops in a series of phases

Question 3

What is Bowlby’s phrases?

Answer 3

Phase 1 (birth → 2 months): Infant will instinctively direct attachment to human figures (strangers, siblings and parents are equally likely to elicit smiling or crying - this is why mom and dad should be around the baby the most)

Phase 2 (2 → 7 months): Attachment is focused on one person (usually primary caregiver) as a baby becomes more familiar with certain people

Phase 3 (7 → 24 months): Specific attachment develops. Now that they are learning how to move, babies actively seek their caregiver

Phase 4 (24 months +): Child is aware of their feelings, goals and plans (begin to form their own actions)

Question 4

What is the strange situation?

Answer 4

• Mary Ainsworth believed that the quality of attachment experience can vary based on individual difference
• So, she created a “Strange Situation” to observe how a baby reacts to introductions, separations and reunions with the caregiver and a stranger in a specific order

Question 5

What is the strange situation (attachment style)?

Answer 5

Securely attached
- See their caregiver as an indication that they are safe to explore the room
- When the caregiver leaves, they are a bit fussy but upon return, they re-establish a positive interaction (smile, hugs etc)
- Then, they resume playing

Insecure avoidant
- Shows insecurity by avoiding their mother.
- Engage in little interaction with caregiver, don’t protest when they leave the room and do not re-establish contact (may even turn back to them)

Insecure resistant
- Cling to the caregiver and then resist the closeness (push away or kicking)
- In the strange situation, they cling closely and don’t explore
- When caregiver leaves, they cry loudly and push away if comforted but when they return, they want to be held

Insecure disorganized
- a lack of a consistent and organized strategy for dealing with stress or seeking comfort from a caregiver
- These children might show contradictory behaviours because they don’t have a rigid pattern of what to follow
- The children tend to be fearful because they don’t have a coherent strategy to deal with stress or seek comfort from their parents

Question 6

Attachment to parents (security)

Answer 6

A secure attachment to parents in adolescence facilitates the adolescent’s social competence and well being:
- Reflected in: self esteem, emotional adjustment, romantic relationship outcomes and physical health
- Research suggests that adolescents who are securely attached at age 14, report that they were in an exclusive relationship when they were 21, comfortable with intimacy in relationships and were attaining financial independence
- Insecure attachment, especially in adolescents, has been linked to depression

Question 7

Dating and romantic relationships stages:

Answer 7

Adolescents are not just attached to parents but they are also in romantic relationships.

There are three stages to characterize the development of romantic relationships:
1. Entry into romantic affiliation & attraction (ages 11-13): coincides with puberty, characterized by developing a crush, dating could occur, but mainly in a group setting

2. Exploring Romantic Relationships (ages 14 - 16): characterized by casual dating and group dating, relationships may last a few months (although there are exceptions to this)
3. Consolidating Dyadic Romantic Bonds (ages 17 - 19): characterized by more serious romantic relationships, stronger emotional bonds, more stable and enduring bonds, (relationship may last years)

Question 8

Dating and adjustment:

Answer 8

Research has linked dating & romantic relationships with various measures of how “well adjusted” adolescents are:
- For example, a study of 200 10th graders revealed that those with more romantic experiences reported higher levels of social acceptance, friendship competence, and romantic competence.
- However, having more romantic experience also was linked with a higher level of substance use, delinquency, problems at home, school and sexual behaviour
- For adolescent girls, having an adolescent romantic relationship was linked to having depressive symptoms

Question 9

Attachment in adulthood:

Answer 9

Attachments, like many concepts we’ve discussed, continue to evolve and change in adulthood:

• Earlier patterns of attachment in infancy, childhood and adolescence are linked to adults’ attachment styles
• While relationships with romantic partners are different from those with our parents and caregivers, they do fulfill some of the same needs for adults as parents do for children
• Young adults who are securely attached to their romantic partner, in stable relationships, usually had secure attachments to their parents in childhood

Question 10

Types of adult attachment styles:

Answer 10

Similar to infant attachment styles, there are also adult attachment styles:

Secure Attachment Style: -securely attached adults have positive views of relationships, find it easy to get close to others, and are not overly concerned with or stressed about their romantic relationships

Avoidant Attachment Style: avoidant individuals are hesitant about getting involved in romantic relationships and once in a relationship, tend to distance themselves from their partners

Anxious Attachment Style: these individuals demand closeness, are less trusting and are more emotional, jealous and possessive

Question 11

Secure Attachment:

Answer 11

• The majority of adults (60-80%) describe themselves as securely attached
• Benefits of secure attachments in adulthood:
• Individuals who are securely attached have a well integrated sense of self-acceptance and self-esteem.
• They have the ability to control their emotions, are optimistic and resilient
• They are also able to use coping strategies to face stress and adversity
• However, adults are not limited to one attachment category for their whole life, they do have the capacity to change their attachment thinking and behavior

Question 12

Important types of love?

Answer 12

Romantic Love
- intimacy and passion
- Has strong components of sexuality, infatuation and it predominates in the early part of a love relationship

Affectionate Love
- companionate love, this type of love occurs when individuals desire to have another person near and have a deep, caring affection for the person

Question 13

What is Bowby’s attachment theory?

Answer 13

1. Secure (willing for others and them to open the door), able to solve issues and be resilient
2. Preoccupied - people who always needs reassurance
3. Dismissive - can build relationships, but does not work out, the avoid it and avoid their problems (have the door but does not want to open it)
4. Fearful - hard to make attachment, does not let people in, similar to insecure disorganized, walking on eggshells with them