PSYC 3100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: John Bowlby, Attachment In Adults, Object Relations Theory
30 Apr 2018
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Personality Psychology PSYC 3100 — chp. 13
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Personality & Relationships
I. Attachment Theory —> reasons that a child’s attachment experiences will eventually
become internalized, or part of the child’s personality as the child develops and explores
how early experiences shape our personalities & adult relationships
•John Bowlby : object relations analyst; biographer of Darwin
-worked in orphanage after WWII
-focused on nature of child-caregiver relationship as source of mental problems
•Childhood Attachment
-attachment : link between a child & his/her primary caregiver
-caregiver : provides security & protection for the child; secure base that enables child
to explore the environment
-children’s attachment experiences will eventually become internalized —> a working
model (aka relational schema, attachment style)
-with an emotionally warm & reliable caregiver, child will view relationships as
stable & secure
-with a cold & unsupportive caregiver, child will develop a much more negative
view of relationships
•Attachment Dynamic —> Circle of Security : Parent Attending to the Child’s Needs
•Harry Harlow’s Monkeys (1959)
-raised baby rhesus monkeys with wire mothers or cloth mothers
-monkeys with cloth mothers were better adjusted to life
-derived a sense of security & warmth from cloth
•Bowl by : Attachment Styles —> child develops attachment style that is best for his
particular environment; problems arise when an attachment style is developed in one
environment & used in a different one
a) Secure attachment —> trusting, open style of attachment
-develops when a child’s caregivers is a source of comfort & security
-child learns to trust others, explorative
-associated with the best psychological outcomes
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Personality Psychology PSYC 3100 — chp. 13
!2
b) Anxious attachment —> an anxious, uncertain, & clingy style of attachment
-develops when caregiver is unreliable
-child might be difficult to comfort when sacred & develop anxiety about
relationships
-includes a negative view of self
c) Avoidant attachment —> a removed, isolated style of attachment
-child avoids closeness & may be uncomfortable with emotional intimacy
-develops when caregiver is consistently unavailable or abusive
-child learns to distrust the caregiver & relationships
-includes a negative view of others
•Mary Ainsworth : Strange Situation
-method used to test attachment in young children that involves separation from a
parent
-mother leaves and almost all the babies cry or look upset, but differ upon her return:
a. securely attached baby smiles & looks happy to see the parent
b. anxious baby keeps crying & is difficult to comfort
c. avoidant baby looks away from parent & refuses to acknowledge parent
•Attachment in Adult Relationships
-early attachment experiences with caregivers predict attachment later in life
—> childhood attachment styles can shape adult romantic relationships
-ex. when saying goodbye at airport : avoidant men were less likely to seek contact
from their partners and anxious men & women were more likely to be upset
-adult attachment styles & the big five traits
a. adults high in anxious attachment are:
•higher on neuroticism
•lower on conscientiousness
b. adults high in avoidant attachment are:
•lower on extraversion
•lower on agreeableness
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Focused on nature of child-caregiver relationship as source of mental problems: childhood attachment. Attachment : link between a child & his/her primary caregiver. Caregiver : provides security & protection for the child; secure base that enables child to explore the environment. Children"s attachment experiences will eventually become internalized > a working model (aka relational schema, attachment style) With an emotionally warm & reliable caregiver, child will view relationships as stable & secure. With a cold & unsupportive caregiver, child will develop a much more negative view of relationships: attachment dynamic > circle of security : parent attending to the child"s needs, harry harlow"s monkeys (1959) Raised baby rhesus monkeys with wire mothers or cloth mothers. Monkeys with cloth mothers were better adjusted to life. Develops when a child"s caregivers is a source of comfort & security. !2: anxious attachment > an anxious, uncertain, & clingy style of attachment.
