Go through this chapter in Interactive syllabus, watch the movies, make notes, prepare questions.
Developmental Psychology
Seminar I
Attachment
For the next seminar
Definitons:
„Lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.“
"Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space."
(Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969)
Attachment is characterized by specific behaviors in children, such as seeking proximity to the attachment figure when upset or threatened.
(Bowlby, 1969)
Attachment behavior in adults towards the child includes responding sensitively and appropriately to the child’s needs. Such behavior appears universal across cultures.
Attachment theory explains how the parent-child relationship emerges and influences subsequent development.
Theories and authors:
R. Spitz: development of "object" relationships, depression from abandonement
M. Mahler: phases of Ego development, process of separation, proces of individuation
D. W. Winnicott: development of "self", "good enough mother", transition objects
W. R. Bion: "Containment" of the affective states of the child
Jurist, Fonagy, Target: “Mentalization” of affects
J. Bowlby, M. Ainsworth : The theory of early emotional attachment
How important is theory of early emotional attachment considered?
In Borkoldoy mountains are peaks named after the authors of the theory
Harlow's experiments with maternal deprivation
A documentary movie "Mother love" (1959)
Harlow's experiments with maternal deprivation
A documentary movie "Mother love" (1959)
Harlow's experiments with maternal deprivation
Attachment formation proces in Homo sapiens
Child obviously wants to stay close to it´s attachment figure. However in it´s first year is unable to follow it´s attachment figure. Therefore there are inborn patterns, mirror neurons, etc. that helps to make a bond with the attachment figure.
Development of attachment
1) before the onset of attachment: asocial stage, uncritical sociability (approx. 0-3 months)
2) beginnings of emotional attachment: undifferentiated bond, first formation phase (about 6th to 8th month)
3) period of strong emotional attachment: around 4 years
4) intentional relationship and partnership
Strange situation test (SST)
The Strange situation is a standardized procedure devised by Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s to observe attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships. It applies to infants between the age of nine and 18 months.
The procedure involves series of eight episodes lasting approximately 3 minutes each, whereby a mother, child and stranger are introduced, separated and reunited.
8 sequences:
1. Mother and child enter the unknown room
2. The mother sits down and the child is free to move around
3. comes an unknown person
4. Mother goes away leaving child with unknown person
5. Mother returns, stranger leaves
6. The mother leaves, leaving the child alone in the room
7. stranger returns
8. stranger goes away and mother returns
What is being observed in SST:
- the degree of proximity that children seek with their mothers before and after separation
- the degree of proximity that children seek from strangers when mother leaves a room for a while by the mother
- separation protest after mother leaves the room, behavior after return of mother
Následující