1 HON 302 Dr. Schuetze First social relationship; Strong emotional bond between infant and caregiver An affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time (Ainsworth, 1991). Young children bond easily with a wide variety of caregivers in the first two years of life. Infants in the first six months who cry for food or comfort should not be picked up every time because they’ll be spoiled. Young children really enjoy interaction but parents need to be careful not to overstimulate them. Young children who have not formed healthy attachments often can overcome this challenge through intensive and caring attention. The type of attachment relationship a parent forms with a young child has little effect on how the child’s brain forms.
Transcript
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HON 302
Dr. Schuetze
First social relationship; Strong emotional bond between infant and caregiver
An affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time (Ainsworth, 1991).
Young children bond easily with a wide variety of caregivers in the first two years of life.
Infants in the first six months who cry for food or comfort should not be picked up every time because they’ll be spoiled.
Young children really enjoy interaction but parents need to be careful not to overstimulate them.
Young children who have not formed healthy attachments often can overcome this challenge through intensive and caring attention.
The type of attachment relationship a parent forms with a young child has little effect on how the child’s brain forms.
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Studies Show:
• Children with close bonds to at least one adult are
much better able to comfort themselves when receiving inoculations.
• Children who are picked up when crying during the first six months of life cry less frequently during the second six months.
•Primates who receive good maternal care show fewer indications of physiological stress.
Psychoanalytic Theory: I love you because you feed me.
Freud linked attachment to his oral stage of development, seeing the child gaining pleasure through feeding.◦ Since the mother is usually the feeder, she becomes the
baby’s primary object of security and affection.
Erikson saw feeding as representing a mother’s overall responsiveness to the needs of the child, which fosters a sense of trust.
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Learning Theory: Rewardingness leads to love.
Also emphasizes the importance of feeding for 2 reasons:◦ It elicits positive responses form a contented
baby (smiles/coos) that are likely to increase a caregiver’s affection for the baby.
◦ Mothers is relaxed when feeding and provides many comforts: food, warmth, touch and soft and reassuring vocalizations. Infant, therefore ,associates the mothers with pleasant feelings.
Study biological basis of behavior (evolutionary context): attachment relationship is seen to have adaptive significance.
Born with innate behavioral tendencies to promote attachment between infant and caregiver.
Not based on feeding alone.
Klaus and Kennell: bonding - critical period
Infant rhesus monkeys were placed with two surrogate mothers, one made of wire and one covered with soft cloth
Milk-producing nipple was attached to either the wire or the cloth mother
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Contact Time with Wire and Cloth
Surrogate Mothers
24
0
6
12
18
21-251-56-10
11-1016-20
Age (in days)
. . . ..
. . . ..
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....
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Infant monkey fed on
wire mother
Infant monkey fed on
cloth mother
Hours per day spent with wire mother
Hours per day spent with cloth mother
Mean
hours
per
day
Effects of Isolation
Attachment was based on “contact comfort” rather than feeding
By 18 months: 87% have more than one and 30% had 4-5 attachments.
Human infants have a biological need to have a close loving bond with their caregiver.
Parents are biologically predisposed to attach themselves to bond with their infants.
If this bond isn’t allowed to form, or is broken, emotional development will be disrupted.
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Critical period view
“Even good mothering is almost useless if delayed until after two and a half years” (1951)
Mary Ainsworth Strange Situation Mother-child dyads were
observed in a playroom under four conditions:◦ initial mother-child
interaction◦ mother leaves infant
alone in playroom◦ friendly stranger enters
playroom◦ mother returns and
greets child
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH_swXJLQI4
Secure Base: comfort provided by attachment figures. Allows individuals to venture forth more confidently and explore the environment.
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Distress experienced when exposed to unfamiliar people.
6-9 months of age
Distress experienced when separated from the primary caregiver (usually the mother).
9 months of age.
Which of the next 3 paragraphs best describes you?
1. I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I don’t often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting close to me.
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2. I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others. I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close, and often partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.
3. I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or won’t want to stay with me. I want to merge completely with others, and this desire sometimes scares people away.
Secure trust that others will provide love and support.
Anxious/ambivalent fear abandonment; feel their needs might not be met.
