(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: BA., H. Dip. Ed., Dip. Counselling, M. Ed. & Counselling, Member I.A.C.P. Presented to the Child Development

(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: BA., H. Dip. Ed., Dip. Counselling, M. Ed. & Counselling, Member I.A.C.P. www.Attachment.ie

Presented to the Child Development Initiative By Sheila Hayes

Nov 2010

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(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: www.Attachment.ie

Clinical Counsellor since 1996 Member IACP Masters in Educational Guidance and

Counselling from Trinity College◦ Masters Dissertation on Attachment Theory

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Attachment Theory: Background and History

John Bowlby and the 1957 Paper◦ Key Elements of Attachment Relationships

Harlow & Ainsworth: Further Research and Vindication

Attachment Styles Application of the theory

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Has always been a key question in Psychoanalysis

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Developed the Oedipus Complex

Maintained Psychological problems arose as a result of lack of resolution of the Oedipus Complex.

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Mother Child bond arose due to feeding◦ Kleinian Dependency Theory

Psychological problems arose ◦ Not from lack of resolution of

the Oedipus Complex◦ But from the act of weaning

The Freud / Klein view of the Mother-Child relationship was predominant up to the 1960s

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Konrad Lorenz Studied goslings and

ducklings who fed themselves Proposed that a bond could

develop without the intermediary of food.

Developed the term Imprinting◦ Where a duckling or gosling can

attach itself to almost anything. Received a Nobel prize in

1973

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(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: www.Attachment.ie8







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Qualified as a Child Psychiatrist in 1940◦ Eventually became Director of

Child Psychology at Tavistock clinic

Interested in the treatment of disturbed children

Joined British Psychoanalytical Society as they controlled the thinking on the treatment of disturbed children

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Observed inter-generational transmission of Neurosis

Psychoanalytic society focussed on the Child’s unconscious

Bowlby felt that environment and relationships, particularly, with the mother were important

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1951 Wrote a report for WHO on the impact on

children during the second world war.◦ Maternal Care and Mental Health

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1947 – A Peril in Infancy

1952 - A Two Year Old Goes to Hospital

Highlighted the impact on infants of parental separation.

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“The Nature of the Child’s Tie to his Mother”◦ Addressed issues such as

Anger, Trauma, Defence, Isolation, Early Child Development

Child has an inbuilt propensity to respond well to people

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It was dominated by the Freud / Klein View Uproar

◦ Received very critically◦ He left the society

Was unable to effect change in how children were treated in hospitals due to opposition

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Attachment Theory is concerned with how a personality develops through the relationship with a child's primary carer.

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Features of a healthy attachment relationship◦ Secure Base◦ Safe Haven◦ Proximity Maintenance◦ Separation Distress

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Bowlby stated that even if there is a long separation between the child and the mother after the bond has been formed, the bond will still be there and be recognisable in the child’s behaviour towards the mother.

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A child has two unconscious working models (or mental maps). They govern◦ How the child views himself ◦ How he views the world

Development of the working models is determined by the attachment relationship with his primary carer

Models can be◦ Positive◦ Negative◦ Multiple / Conflicting

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Bowlby maintained these were at the roof of Psychopathologies.

e.g. I’m afraid Dad will leave and I hope Dad will leave

Bowlby posited that working models were at the root of intergenerational Transmission of Neurosis.

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Thinking shaped behaviour◦ Bandura, Skinner, Piaget

◦ Attachment theory linked thoughts, feelings and behaviour

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Not to pick up a crying child as that would reinforce the crying-spoilt child.

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Harry Harlow had been researching Rhesus Monkeys

See Video

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See Video

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Monkeys removed from parents at birth showed abnormalities in parenting behaviour.

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Mary Salter-Ainsworth ◦ 1913 – 1999

Canadian / American who became a doctor in Canadian Army

Studied under John Bowlby in the Tavistock Clinic

Observed parenting in Uganda Returned to America Developed the Strange

Situation Experiment at 18 months.

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Mother’s Chair

Stranger’s Chair

Child’s Chair Heaped

with Toys

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Originally conducted in 1968 in Baltimore USA

100 Middle class children Defined protocol

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Identified Attachment styles◦ One Secure◦ Two Insecure◦ One Uncategorised (13%)

Results have been replicated in dozens of studies around the world since

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Secure Insecure Avoidant Insecure Resistant or Ambivalent Insecure Disorganised / Disoriented

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Explores room and toys with interest in pre-separation episodes. Show signs of missing parent during separation, often crying by second separation. Obvious preference for parent over stranger. Greets parent actively, usually initiating physical contact.

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Fails to cry on separation from parent. Actively avoids and ignores parent on reunion (i.e.. by moving away, turning away, or leaning our arms when picked up). Little or no proximity seeking, no distress and no anger. Response to parent seems unemotional. Focuses on toys or environment throughout the process.

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May be wary or distressed prior to separation, with little exploration. Preoccupied with parent throughout procedure; may seem angry or passive. Fails to settle and take comfort in parent on reunion, and usually continues to focus on parent and cry. Fails to return to exploration after reunion.

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Not classified in 1968 The infant displays disorganised and / or

disoriented behaviours in the parent’s presence, suggesting a temporary collapse of behavioural strategy. For example, the infant may freeze with a trance-like expression, hands in air; may rise at parent’s entrance, then fall prone and huddled on the floor; or may cling while crying and leaning away with gaze averted.

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Follow up longitudinal study in Berkeley Developed the Adult Attachment Interview

◦ Protocol Identified four attachment styles

◦ One secure◦ Three Insecure

The adult styles were similar to the child styles.

This work classified the third insecure style for children ◦ Insecure disorganised

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There was an 80% chance that a child had a similar attachment style to that of their parent.

Confirmed Bowlby’s intergenerational transmission of neurosis hypothesis.

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Later identified by Mary Main◦ Where an insecure attachment can become

secure through Positive relationships e.g. Teachers, coaches, Intimate relationships Counselling / Psychotherapy

◦ Ideally occurs before adolescence

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Maladaptive behaviors◦ E.G. Aggression, Grandiosity

Thinking that attachment styles are due to genetics

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Secure Insecure Avoidant Insecure Resistant or Ambivalent Insecure Disorganised / Disoriented Earned Secure

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1985 – The Dublin Child Development Study (DCDS).

Trinity College & Harvard 100 Dyads 80% secure No Insecure: Disorganised found

2005 – 2009◦ Mary Mercer Centre Tallaght

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2000◦ The Circle of Security®◦ www.circleofsecurity.org◦ Glen Cooper, Kent Hoffman, Robert Marvin and

Bert Powell

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Mother-child bond saw role of father as supportive one

The Feminist Movement Role of genetics

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www.attachment.ie◦ My website◦ This presentation can be downloaded◦ Other resources and videos

www.johnbowbly.com◦ State University of New York at Stonybrook

www.circleofsecurity.org◦ Background and material on the Circle of Security

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(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: BA., H. Dip. Ed., Dip. Counselling, M. Ed. & Counselling, Member I.A.C.P. www.Attachment.ie

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Bretherton (1992)◦ ... If the attachment figure has acknowledged the

infant’s needs for comfort and protection while simultaneously respecting the infant’s need for independent exploration of the environment, the child is likely to develop an internal working model of self as valued and reliable.

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Bretherton (1992)◦ Conversely, if the parent has frequently rejected

the infant’s bids for comfort or for exploration, the child is likely to construct an internal working model of self as unworthy or incompetent. With the aid of working models, children predict the attachment figure’s likely behaviour and plan their own responses. What type of model they construct is therefore of great consequence.

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Documents

(c) 2009. Sheila Hayes: BA., H. Dip. Ed., Dip. Counselling, M. Ed. & Counselling, Member I.A.C.P. Presented to the Child Development