Welcome to the World of Attachment!
Hello there! Welcome to one of the most fascinating parts of Psychology. In this chapter, we are going to explore how babies form emotional bonds with their caregivers. We’ll look at why these bonds are so important, what happens when they don’t form correctly, and how our first relationships as babies might actually act as a "blueprint" for our adult lives. Don’t worry if some of the names or theories seem a bit heavy at first—we’ll break them down step-by-step!
1. Caregiver-Infant Interactions
Before a baby can even speak, they are communicating with their parents. This isn’t just about crying for food; it’s an emotional "dance." There are two key terms you need to know here:
Reciprocity: Think of this like a conversation. One person acts, and the other responds. For example, if a baby smiles and the mother smiles back, they are taking turns.
Interactional Synchrony: This is more like mirroring. It’s when the caregiver and infant do the exact same action or express the same emotion at the same time. Imagine two dancers moving perfectly together in time to the music.
Quick Review:
- Reciprocity = Taking turns (like a tennis match).
- Interactional Synchrony = Moving together (like a mirror).
2. Schaffer’s Stages of Attachment
Psychologists Schaffer and Emerson found that babies go through four distinct stages as they grow. To remember these, try the mnemonic: "All Infants Seek Mothers" (Asocial, Indiscriminate, Specific, Multiple).
1. Asocial Stage (0–8 weeks): The baby behaves similarly toward humans and objects. They are just starting to prefer faces.
2. Indiscriminate Attachment (2–7 months): Babies now definitely prefer humans over objects, but they will let almost any adult cuddle them without getting upset.
3. Specific Attachment (7 months+): The baby starts to show "stranger anxiety" and "separation anxiety." They have formed a primary attachment to one person (usually the mother).
4. Multiple Attachments: Shortly after forming a primary attachment, they start forming bonds with others, like grandparents or siblings.
The Role of the Father:
Does the father play a different role? Research suggests that while mothers often provide more nurturing care, fathers often take the role of the playmate. Father-infant interactions are often more about stimulation and physical play, which is just as important for a child’s development!
3. Animal Studies of Attachment
Sometimes, psychologists study animals to understand human behavior because it’s quicker and avoids some ethical issues (though animal studies have their own ethical concerns!).
Lorenz and his Geese
Lorenz found that goose chicks would follow the first moving object they saw after hatching. This is called Imprinting. He found there is a Critical Period (a specific window of time) where this must happen, or it never will.
Harlow and his Monkeys
Harlow wanted to know: Do we love our mothers because they feed us, or because they comfort us? He gave baby monkeys two "surrogate" mothers: one made of wire but with a milk bottle, and one covered in soft cloth but with no food.
The Result: The monkeys spent almost all their time with the cloth mother. This proved that Contact Comfort is more important than food for forming an attachment.
Key Takeaway: Attachment isn't just about survival (food); it’s about emotional security and comfort.
4. Explanations of Attachment: Why do we do it?
There are two main "sides" to this argument: Learning Theory and Bowlby’s Theory.
Learning Theory (The "Cupboard Love" Theory)
Behaviorists believe we learn to love whoever feeds us.
- Classical Conditioning: Food (Unconditioned Stimulus) makes a baby happy (Unconditioned Response). Because the mother is always there when the food is, the baby associates the mother with happiness.
- Operant Conditioning: When a baby cries, the mother feeds them. The crying stops (negative reinforcement for the mother) and the baby gets food (positive reinforcement for the baby). It’s a cycle of reward!
Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory (The Evolutionary View)
John Bowlby disagreed with Learning Theory. He thought attachment was innate (we are born with it) because it helps us survive. Use the acronym SNAP to remember his main points:
- S - Social Releasers: Cute behaviors like smiling or "cooing" that make adults want to care for the baby.
- N - Native/Innate: We are born programmed to attach.
- A - Adaptive: Attachment gives us a "survival advantage."
- P - Period (Critical): Attachment must happen between 0 and 2.5 years. If it doesn't, the child may suffer permanent damage.
Important Concept: The Internal Working Model (IWM)
Bowlby said our first attachment creates a "mental blueprint" for all future relationships. If your first relationship is loving, you’ll expect future ones to be loving too. If it’s unreliable, you may struggle to trust others later.
5. Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’
Mary Ainsworth designed a controlled observation to measure the quality of a baby's attachment. She looked at how the baby acted when the mother left, when a stranger entered, and when the mother returned.
She identified three main types:
1. Secure (Type B): These babies are happy to explore but use mom as a "safe base." They are upset when she leaves but easily calmed when she returns. (About 60-75% of UK babies).
2. Insecure-Avoidant (Type A): These babies don’t really care if mom is there or not. They don't seek comfort when she returns. (About 20-25%).
3. Insecure-Resistant (Type C): These babies are very clingy. They get extremely upset when mom leaves but may kick or arch their back in anger when she tries to pick them up upon return. (About 3%).
Did you know? Attachment styles can vary by culture! Van Ijzendoorn looked at studies worldwide and found that while Secure attachment is the most common everywhere, Germany had more Avoidant babies, and Japan/Israel had more Resistant babies. This is often due to different parenting styles.
6. Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation
Bowlby argued that if a child is separated from their primary caregiver for a long time during the Critical Period without a substitute, they will suffer Maternal Deprivation.
The 44 Thieves Study: Bowlby studied teenagers accused of stealing. He found that many of them were "Affectionless Psychopaths" (they felt no guilt or empathy). Interestingly, most of these "psychopaths" had experienced long separations from their mothers in early childhood.
Summary of Effects:
- Low IQ (Delayed intellectual development).
- Affectionless Psychopathy (Inability to feel guilt or strong emotions for others).
7. Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation
What happens if a child has no one to attach to at all? After the fall of communism in Romania, many children were left in terrible orphanages with no emotional care. Researcher Rutter followed these children as they were adopted into UK families.
Key Findings:
- Children adopted before 6 months old usually caught up to their peers.
- Children adopted after 6 months often showed Disinhibited Attachment. This means they were equally friendly to people they knew and total strangers (they didn't have that normal "stranger anxiety").
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse deprivation (losing an attachment) with privation (never having an attachment in the first place, like the Romanian orphans).
8. Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships
Remember that Internal Working Model (the blueprint) we mentioned earlier? Psychologists believe it affects two main areas of later life:
1. Childhood Relationships: Securely attached children tend to have better friendships and are less likely to be involved in bullying. Insecure-avoidant children are more likely to be victims, and insecure-resistant children are more likely to be the bullies.
2. Adult Relationships: Research (like the "Love Quiz") shows that people who were securely attached as babies tend to have longer, more trusting adult relationships. Those who were avoidant often fear intimacy or struggle with closeness.
Key Takeaway: Our very first relationship sets the stage for how we view the social world for the rest of our lives!