Attachments

Attachments

1. How can we see that two people have an attachment?

   • Seeking proximity: wanting to be close to the person you are attached to
   • Distress on separation: an infants will show signs of distress if the caregiver leaves.
   • Joy on reunion: the baby will welcome the carer back ( displays of clinging/ hugging)
   • General orientation of behaviour towards the other person: attention directed to other person and try to engage in each others activities
   • Theorised by Maccoby (1980)

2. How are attachments developed?

   • Lorenz (ethologist)
     • first observed that animals formed attachments very soon after there birth
       • From that noticed that orphaned animals would attach to any animal there at the time and follow it as if it was it's real mother
     • During the 1930's he did experiments with geese
       • Half stayed with there natural mother the other half were put n an incubator