Formation of attachment

How can we see two people have an attachment


Maccoby (1980):
Argued we see if two people have an attachment by looking at the behaviours;
- Seeking proximity: two people want to be near each other. Separation distress
- Distress on separation: Separation distress. Older child gets homesick.
- Joy on reunion: Baby welcome back carer, clinging.
- General orientation of behaviour towards other person: B+C direct attention and engage with each other with acitivities etc.

How do babies develop attachment

Lorenz
Aim: To see how quickly attachments form in geese
Procedure: Used geese.
divided goose eggs into 2 groups
- Group 1= placed under mother
- Group 2= kept in incubator
Lorenz was the first living thing group 2 saw.
Results: Gosling formed attachment with Lorenz and followed him around.
After hatch Lorenz put them in a hatch and had to seek own mother.
Group 1= went to goose.
Group 2= went to Lorenz.
Conclusion: This formation of rapid attachment is called 'imprinting' occurs between 13 and 16 hours after birth (critical period). After 31 hours, the tendency to imprint passes and attachment can't form.


Formation of bons between parents and babies


Klaus and Kennell (1976)
Aim: find out whether early skins to skin contact lead to closer bond formation between mother and baby.
Procedure: Babies usually taken from mothers and kept in nurser.
K+K took 2 groups of mothers in American hospital and followed them from birth til baby was 1.
-Group 1 (control): Had routine contact, saw baby after delivery and brought back for feed.
-Group 2 (experimental): Had extended contact. Extra hrs.
Results: Group 2 showed soothing behaviours and maintained close proximity to babies to baby in contrast to group 1.
Conclusion: The study indicates there may be a sensitive period immediately after birth.
Evaluation: Findings changed hospital practice in westernised child birth so mum and babies were together.
Evidence for Maccoby's behaviours i.e. 'seeking proximity' and 'general orientation of behaviour towards eachother'.
Mothers were unnamed.
Low ecological validity and demand characteristics. 


Formation of attachments


Schaffer and Emerson (1964):
Aim: To see the gradual developments of attachments
Procedure: 60 glasgow babies, visit monthly for a year and returning at 18 months.
Collected data by observation and interviews on separation anxiety and stranger distress.
They approached babies to see if they had stranger fear and interviewed mother on babies responses to situations on a scale of 1-4 e.g. being left alone.
Results: 65% first attachent was mother
3% babies from with father
27% joint attachment
Separation anxiety shown at 6-8 months =attachment formed.
Conclusion:
Asocial stage (0-6 wks):
-Similar response to objects and people
-No favour of people.
-Look at face and eyes
-Discriminate unfamiliar people by smell and voice
Indiscriminate attachments (6 wks -6 month):
-Sociable
-Recognise people
-Like human company
-No favour
-No stranger fear
Specific attachments (7 months +)
-Separation anxiety
Multiple attachments (10 months +)
-e.g. grandparents.