CFT 412 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mental Model, Mary Ainsworth, John Bowlby

• School: University of Oregon
• Department: Counseling Psychology and Human Services
• Course: CFT 412
• Professor: Emily Johnson

Document Summary

One of the most empirically supported theories in developmental literature. Springs from biologically-based necessity of infant to be close to caregiver for sake of survival, evolutionary. Developers: rene spitz, john bowlby, mary ainsworth. Spitz observed young children in orphanage who got food health but no affection which took tool on development. Bowlby studied infant monkeys and their preferences to wire mothers with food vs cloth mothers without. Attachments have been studied in non-human animals, children and adults. Several phases in emotional reaction from separation: protest to crying, despair to passive, detachment. Sensitive responding by the parent to the infants" needs result in infant who demonstrates secure attachment. Lack of sensitive responding can result in insecure attachment. Proximity maintenance: desire to be near the people we are attached to. Safe haven: returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of fear or threat.