Attachment

Welcome to the World of Attachment!

Ever wondered why babies cry when their parents leave the room, or why some people find it easier to make friends than others? That is exactly what we are exploring in the Attachment chapter. We’ll look at how we form our very first bonds and how those bonds act like a "blueprint" for the rest of our lives. Don't worry if some of the theories seem a bit heavy at first—we'll break them down step-by-step!

1. Caregiver-Infant Interactions

Before babies can even talk, they are "communicating" with their parents. It’s like a silent dance between the baby and the caregiver.

Key Concepts:

• Reciprocity: Think of this like a conversation. One person acts, and the other responds. When a baby smiles and the mother smiles back, that’s reciprocity. They take turns, just like in a game of tennis.
• Interactional Synchrony: This is when the caregiver and infant mirror each other’s actions and emotions at the same time. If the baby sticks out their tongue and the parent does it immediately after, they are "in sync."

Quick Review: Reciprocity is about taking turns; Synchrony is about doing it together in time.

Did you know? High levels of synchrony are associated with better quality attachment later in life!

2. Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies don't just bond with one person instantly. It happens in four specific stages.

The Four Stages:

1. Asocial Stage (0-8 weeks): The baby behaves similarly toward humans and non-human objects. They are starting to form bonds but aren't picky yet.
2. Indiscriminate Attachment (2-7 months): Babies now prefer humans over objects. They recognize familiar faces but will usually accept comfort from anyone.
3. Specific Attachment (7-12 months): The "Big Moment." The baby starts showing stranger anxiety and separation anxiety (crying when a specific person leaves). They have formed a primary attachment.
4. Multiple Attachments (1 year+): Shortly after the first attachment, babies form "secondary attachments" with others like grandparents, siblings, or dad.

Memory Aid: Use the mnemonic "A-I-S-M" (All Infants Seek Mums) to remember: Asocial, Indiscriminate, Specific, Multiple.

3. The Role of the Father

Historically, researchers focused on mothers, but dads are just as important! Research suggests that while mothers often provide more nurturing care, fathers often take on the role of play and stimulation. The quality of a father's attachment is often related to the quality of play rather than emotional nurturing.

Key Takeaway: Attachments aren't just about who feeds the baby; they are about the quality of the interaction.

4. Animal Studies of Attachment

Psychologists studied animals to understand human bonding. Two famous names you need to know are Lorenz and Harlow.

Lorenz: The Geese Man

Lorenz found that geese imprint (attach) to the first moving object they see during a critical period (usually the first few hours of life). If they saw Lorenz first, they followed him everywhere—even trying to mate with humans later! This shows that attachment is innate (we are born with it).

Harlow: The Monkey Man

Harlow gave baby monkeys two "surrogate mothers": one made of wire but with food, and one made of soft cloth but no food.
The Result: The monkeys spent almost all their time with the cloth mother. They only went to the wire mother when they were starving.
Why it matters: This proved that contact comfort is more important for attachment than food. It went against the old idea that we only love those who feed us.

Common Mistake: Don't assume animals and humans are the same. While these studies are useful, humans are much more complex and have more conscious control over their behavior.

5. Explanations of Attachment

How do we form these bonds? There are two main competing theories.

A. Learning Theory (The "Cupboard Love" Theory)

This theory suggests we learn to love whoever feeds us. It uses two types of conditioning:

• Classical Conditioning: Food (Unconditioned Stimulus) makes a baby happy (Unconditioned Response). The mother (Neutral Stimulus) is always there when the food is. Eventually, the baby associates the mother with happiness.
• Operant Conditioning: Crying leads to a response (like being fed). This reinforces the crying behavior because the baby gets what it wants.

B. Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Bowlby hated the learning theory. He thought attachment was evolutionary—we do it to survive.
Key Points:

• Monotropy: The idea that one particular attachment (usually the mother) is different and more important than all others.
• Social Releasers: Cute behaviors (smiling, cooing) that "force" adults to look after the baby.
• Critical Period: A "window" of time (around 2 years) where an attachment must form. If it doesn't, it might never happen.
• Internal Working Model: A mental "template" of what a relationship looks like. If your first relationship is loving, you'll expect all future ones to be too.

Quick Review Box: Learning Theory = Food. Bowlby = Survival and Blueprints.

6. Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Mary Ainsworth developed a controlled observation to measure the quality of attachment. She watched how infants reacted to a stranger, being left alone, and being reunited with their parent.

The Three Attachment Types:

• Secure (Type B): The baby explores happily but checks back with mum. They are upset when she leaves but easily calmed when she returns. (About 60-75% of UK babies).
• Insecure-Avoidant (Type A): The baby ignores mum and doesn't care if she leaves. They don't seek comfort when she returns.
• Insecure-Resistant (Type C): The baby is very clingy and doesn't explore much. They are extremely upset when mum leaves but may resist her or even hit her when she comes back.

Key Takeaway: Secure attachment is generally considered the "healthiest" and is linked to the caregiver being sensitive and responsive.

7. Cultural Variations

Do all cultures attach the same way? Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) looked at 32 studies across 8 countries.

• Secure attachment was the most common in all countries.
• Insecure-Avoidant was more common in individualist cultures (like Germany).
• Insecure-Resistant was more common in collectivist cultures (like Japan or Israel).

Note: They found that there was more variation within a country than between different countries!

8. Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Bowlby argued that if a child is separated from their mother during the critical period without a substitute, it leads to permanent damage.

The 44 Thieves Study: Bowlby studied 44 young thieves. He found that many of them were "Affectionless Psychopaths" (they didn't feel guilt or empathy). A huge percentage of these "psychopaths" had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers in early childhood.

Don't worry if this seems extreme: Later researchers pointed out that "deprivation" (losing a bond) is different from "privation" (never having a bond in the first place).

9. Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation

What happens if a child grows up in an orphanage with no "mother figure" at all? Rutter (2011) followed Romanian orphans adopted in the UK.

• Findings: If they were adopted after 6 months, they often showed disinhibited attachment (being overly friendly to strangers) and had lower IQ scores.
• Recovery: If they were adopted before 6 months, they usually caught up with their UK peers. This shows the importance of early adoption and a loving environment!

10. Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships

Remember the Internal Working Model? It suggests your first attachment is like a "blueprint" for future relationships.

• Childhood: Securely attached children tend to have better friendships and are less likely to be involved in bullying.
• Adulthood: Securely attached people tend to have longer-lasting, more trusting romantic relationships. Insecure-avoidant people might struggle with intimacy.
• Parenting: We tend to base our own parenting style on the one we experienced. Attachment types often run in families!

Key Takeaway: Your early bond with your caregiver doesn't just keep you safe as a baby; it helps you navigate the social world for the rest of your life.

Summary: You've covered caregiver interactions, stages of attachment, animal research, the two big theories (Learning vs. Bowlby), Ainsworth's types, cultural differences, and the long-term effects of attachment. You're doing great—keep reviewing these key names and terms!