Development of Attachment_1

Development of Attachment_1

1. Measuring The Security of Attachment

   • Mary Ainsworth- Strange Situation
     • Secure Attachment
     • Avoidant attachment (Dismissive)
     • Resistant Attachment (Pre-occupied)
     • Disorganised/disoriented attachment (fearful)
   • Walters et al- Attachment Q-Sort
     • Home observations, 90 behaviours to sort into 9 categories, ranging from "highly descriptive" to "not at all descriptive" of the child. The a score from high to low in security is computed. Method is time consuming, & does not differentiate b/w types of insecurity

2. Stability of Attachment

   • Middle-SES babies- attachment secure & stable. Infants who move from insecurity to security typically have well adjusted mothers with positive family & friendship ties
   • Low-SES families - with daily stressors & little social support, attachment moves away from security/changes from one insecure pattern to another
   • Securely attached babies more often maintain their attachment status than insecure babies, whose relationship with the caregiver is fragile & uncertain
   • Disorganised/disoriented attachment- insecure pattern is as stable as attachment security.

3. Factors That Affect Security

   • Early availability of a consistent caregiver
     • E.g., evidence on orphanage children- normal emotional development depends on establishing a close tie with a caregiver early in life
     • Attachment difficulties
     • Adopted children with longer institutional stays have larger amygdala- brain region processing emotional info.
   • Quality of Caregiving
     • Sensitive caregiving
     • Interactional synchrony
   • Infant characteristics
     • E.g., many child attributes can lead to secure attachment as long as caregivers sensitively adjust their behaviour to fit the baby's needs
   • Family circumstances
     • E.g., job loss, failing marriage, financial strain
   • Parents' Internal Working Models
     • Parents bring their own history of attachment experiences from which they construct internal working models- reconstraucted memories