Infant Social & Personality
(Chapter 6 & 7)
I. Attachment Theory & Definitions
II. Development of Attachment
** Case Studies (Project) **
III. Guiding Principles
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Good Morning !
Class discussion
 Journal readings.
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I. Attachment Theory and
Definitions
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Origins of current attachment theory
– Bowlby’s synthesis of ethology and Harlow’s work
with separation in monkeys (video clip)
– Failure to thrive (video clip)
– Ainsworth’s Strange Situation research method
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THE DANCE!
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Interaction between the caregiver/parent and the
infant.
The sensitive caregiver and the “well equipped
child”
If “ The Dance” works the child develops trust.
Trust turns to exploration of the world. Free to
explore.
Exploration turns to successful learning and
positive relationships.
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Temperament
Infants- Innate
 Caregiver
 Discrepancy
 Need to adapt.
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Separation Anxiety (Bowlby)
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Promotes survival of the species
This is attachment.
When the caregiver leaves the room, the child
becomes upset.
Feeding is not the basis.
“Bond” forms from interactions of mother and
child at birth.
Preattachment: Cry at birth. Know smell and
voice. Not attached. Nurse can care for newborn.
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Attachment Phrases
Attachment - in - the – making
 Infant responds differently to parent and a
stranger. The look/stare, head back or head
buried phrase.
 No protest when mother leaves
 Babbles more and quiets more easily with
with mother.
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Secure Attachment
Parent is the secure base.
 Prefer parent to stranger
 When parent returns to situation, seek
contact, hold out arms…
 Ending crying.
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Avoidant Attachment
Unresponsive to parent when she is present
 Not distressed.
 React to stranger same way as parent
 Slow to greet.
 No eye contact.
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Resistant Attachment
Seek closeness, but do not explore.
 Cling
 Display anger and resistant behavior on
return
 Hit and push parent away.
 Not easily comforted
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Attachment
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Definitions
– Affectional bond: “A relatively long-enduring
tie in which the partner is important as a unique
individual and is interchangeable with none
other. There is a desire to maintain closeness to
the partner.”
– Attachment: “A subvariety of emotional bond in
which a persons’ sense of security is bound up in
the relationship. Safe base.”
– Attachment behaviors: “Those behaviors that
allow a child or adult to achieve and retain
proximity to someone else to whom he is
attached.” (smiling, making eye contact, calling
out, touching, clinging, crying)
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Things That Can Go AWRY…
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Commentary on the definitions
 The strange situation research method
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– Eight episodes in Sroufe’s Attachment video.
– Criteria for secure attachment (see notes about
video on back of project handout).
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III. Guiding Principles
Erikson’s ideas
 Basic emotions vs. self-conscious emotions
 Differences in temperament
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– Genetic bases
– Environmental influences: goodness-of-fit
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Guiding Principles (cont.)
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Attachment
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Ethological theory, Bowlby.
Four phases (including separation anxiety, secure base).
Internal working model.
Strange Situation research method.
Four types (secure and three insecure).
Interactional synchrony (the “dance”)
Abuse
Day care.
Effects on later development.
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IV. Co-Sleeping
See Cultural Influences box on page 122
(C.4).
 My research questions:
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Case Studies Project
What to look for in the When the Bough
Breaks video . . .
 The circumstances or experiences of the
mothers.
 What you see the mothers doing or what you
learn that they have been doing.
 What the children’s responses are and what the
responses seem to indicate.
 What therapeutic methods are used.
 What changes you see in the parents and the
children.
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