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Home , Attachment theory, John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth

f e a t u r e by Sarah Yetka Keramati Attachment: Bringing childhood behavior theory to real life

ne of the greatest challenges to teachers is the investigation of possible adverse effects in the young Ochild who seems to have no heart, the child’s environment … and in particular that part of with whom the provider cannot seem to build a it comprised by the ” (Van Der Horst 2011). close or warm relationship. As an , this child is Bowlby found that these delinquent young men often anxious and fretful. This child seems to have had experienced disrupted childhoods, in which they little for another child who may be hurt or had been separated from their mothers for at least six in trouble. The child appears to have no respect for months during their first five years of life. This condi- others, or their property, and is often the center of tion he referred to as maternal deprivation. His paper difficulties within the group. about the study was his first step toward developing recognized these antiso- a new and phenomenal approach to explaining cer- cial behaviors in a group of young teens he was tain childhood behaviors—. Until treating in a clinic in shortly after World War this time relied on the methods of treat- II. These young men had been committing crimes ing antisocial behaviors in children by and were exhibiting antisocial behaviors. Bowlby that had been developed by . and his colleagues conducted a study in which 44 Bowlby, a scientist whose specialty was biology adolescent thieves were observed, using a control during his undergraduate studies, began to study group of another 44 adolescents who had been animal behaviors, especially those that involved the referred to Bowlby’s clinic but as yet had not com- relationship between mother and offspring. It was mitted any crimes. The goal of the study was to com- through (study of behavior in the natural pare the adolescents’ behaviors with a “systematic environment, especially in animals) that Bowlby first z t arrived at some of his conclusions about mother- infant bonding. He was especially inspired by ’s 1935 studies that included the “” of baby geese. Bowlby equated the

behaviors of the baby geese to that of babies. o phto by susan gae He believed that the human infant had built-in behaviors that kept the parent nearby for the baby’s protection (Bowlby 1951). Bowlby’s challenge to Freud’s psychoanalysis John Bowlby was the son of a famous London sur- geon, Major General Sir Anthony Bowlby, who had at one time successfully operated on one of Queen Victoria’s sons and was rewarded with a knighthood (Holmes 1993). Wanting to follow in his famous father’s footsteps, Bowlby entered medical school and studied at University College Hospital. He

© Texas quarterly / spring 2014 / VOLUME 37, NO. 4 / childcarequarterly.com found the tedium of becoming a medical doctor was her child at the earliest stages of the child’s life may not to be his life’s work, and he entered the Institute determine the child’s mental health and emotional of Psycho-Analysis. stability. He had experienced a detached relationship Wanting to become a child , he threw with his own taciturn, aloof mother. He also had himself into psychoanalytic studies. He became a experienced some extreme negative feelings when student of Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanaly- separated from his favorite, loving . He sum- sis. Studying under the grande dame of child analysis, marized attachment in this statement: “the infant , Bowlby intuitively began to follow and young child should experience a warm, inti- another route to the problems of behavior in child- mate, and continuous relationship with his mother hood. He began to discover there was a more realis- (or permanent mother substitute) in which both find tic reason for a child’s behavior, which was beyond satisfaction and enjoyment” (1951). the fantasies prescribed by Freud’s theory. Bowlby’s first assumption was the nature of the child’s tie to the mother. He proposed that a 12-month-old has unmistakable behaviors that func- tion to bind the child to the mother. Among those earlyt at achments of an infant elements are sucking, clinging, following, as well as predict how those will behave those (signaling) behaviors like smiling and crying (Bretherton 1992). la ter in life. The second core assumption was the importance of separation anxiety. Bowlby took issue with Freud’s claim that maternal over-gratification is a danger in infancy. Bowlby felt that Freud failed to realize that Bowlby expressed in his own writings on attach- maternal “pseudo-affection” and overprotection may ment, “What had deceived me was that my furrows derive from a mother’s unconscious hostility. In his had been started from a corner diametrically oppo- view, separation anxiety was directly due to adverse site to the one at which Freud had entered and experiences like continual threats of abandon- through which analysts have always followed” ment or actual rejection from . (1982). The innovator Bowlby started a new dimen- Separation anxiety could also be related to a par- sion in treating children with behavioral problems. ent’s or ’s death for which the child felt While studying with Klein, he observed a mother responsible (Bretherton 1992). Bowlby claimed that a and child whom he had been treating for hyperactiv- well-loved child might protest separation at first, but ity and anxious behaviors five times a week. He that later the child might develop more self-reliance. noticed that the mother also was quite anxious. The third core assumption of attachment theory Bowlby reported to his supervisor (Klein) that he felt dealt with grief and mourning in infancy and early that there was a correlation between the child’s childhood. Bowlby questioned ’s theory behaviors and the mother’s anxiety. that infants cannot mourn due to immature ego Klein responded to these concerns by clarifying, development. Anna Freud (Sigmund’s daughter) “Dr. Bowlby, we are not concerned with reality, we contended that infants experience no more than brief are only concerned with the fantasy” (Kagan 2006). bouts of separation anxiety if an adequate substitute As Bowlby’s studies on attachment were being pub- is provided. On the contrary, it was lished, Klein “openly ridiculed his notions about the Bowlby’s contention that grief and mourning pro- mother-child bond having a lifelong impact on indi- cesses in children and “appear whenever vidual development” (Maroda 2012). attachment behaviors are activated but the attach- ment figure continues to be unavailable.” He also What is attachment? suggested that “an inability to form deep relation- The bond between the mother and the child (or one ships with others may result when the succession of primary and permanent caregiver and the child) is substitutes is too frequent” (Bretherton 1992). the basis of attachment theory. It was Bowlby’s idea Later in life Bowlby determined a fourth core that a close bond between a mother (caregiver) and assumption to attachment theory, this one related to

© Texas Child Care quarterly / spring 2014 / VOLUME 37, NO. 4 / childcarequarterly.com . He encouraged the reappraisal of engage in activities with a as long as the inadequate, outdated working models of self, in rela- mother is in the room, but when the mother leaves tion to attachment figures. As most psychoanalysts the child will not engage in activities with . know, if a person has inadequate, rigid working In resistant attachment the child is anxious and models of attachment, it is highly likely that the per- fretful with strangers even if the mother is in the son will transfer or impose those models onto the room. When the mother leaves the room, the child is therapist. This is called transference. Bowlby had extremely upset. When the mother returns, the child reported that transference should be remodeled in will remain close to the mother but seems resentful. such a way that the therapist would be the secure The child may even push or hit the mother upon her base on which the patient could build an internal return. working model (Bretherton 1992). In avoidant attachment the child avoids the moth- er or primary caregiver and seems ambivalent when and the she leaves the room. The child will often run away study from the mother upon her return. The child does not In 1950 Mary Ainsworth, a developmental psycholo- cling to the mother and has the same emotions with gist, joined Bowlby’s group at the Tavistock Clinic, strangers as the child has to the mother (Bretherton during which time she became interested in the etho- 1992). logical approach to attachment theory. In 1953 she Ainsworth’s colleagues subsequently came up observed infants from ages 12 to 18 months in an with another type, disoriented or disorganized experiment that came to be called “strange situation.” attachment. In this category, the child is confused or In the study, the parent of the child would leave the demonstrates contradictory behaviors (looking away, room briefly and then return to the child. From this showing a dazed facial expression) when the mother study, Ainsworth was able to observe secure attach- or primary caregiver leaves and then returns to the ment and different types of insecure attachment. She room. concluded that the early attachments of an infant pre- dict how those infants will behave later in life. Developing secure attachment In secure attachment the child uses a primary in classrooms caregiver as a secure base from which to explore. The behaviors of children vary by individual. The child actively seeks with the parent, Teachers want each child to explore the world within avoids strangers, and is easily comforted by the pri- the classroom freely and without hesitation. They mary caregiver after being absent. The child will want the child to accept peers and teachers, feeling z t comfortable with each relationship. The child could be outgoing and relaxed, shy and reserved, timid, or cautious but with a strong emotional tie—secure attachment—to a primary caregiver.

Experienced teachers realize that secure attach- o phto by susan gae ment does not mean dependency but rather reflects an attitude of liberation toward exploring the world (Bergin and Bergin 2009). Secure attachment is quite obvious when a child protests separation (separation anxiety) from the attachment figure. This type of behavior is more prevalent in younger children, while older children are less likely to feel insecure when separated (Bergin and Bergin 2009). The beautiful thing about secure attachment is that most children may feel attached to more than one person. The securely attached child is often highly selective of attachment figures (such as family mem- bers), and the young child is likely to be attached to

© Texas Child Care quarterly / spring 2014 / VOLUME 37, NO. 4 / childcarequarterly.com just a few figures (Ainsworth 1979). ment relationships from a child’s and the family’s In working to create a loving and attached rela- perspective, history, and circumstance. Whatever the tionship with a child in the classroom, a teacher family relationship, early care and education profes- must allow the child the freedom to choose the sionals can contribute to children’s emotional stabili- attachment figure. For instance, if a child is a new ty and help set the foundation for later relationships member of the class, the teacher may allow the child and the ability to function as an autonomous to warm up to her and not overwhelm the child with with and security. smothering behaviors. The securely attached child will have little problems, in time, relating to the References other members of the class and will find an attach- Ainsworth, M.D.S. 1979. Infant-mother attachment. ment figure within the new world. The American Psychologist, 34 (10). The child who is not securely attached to a prima- Bergin, C. and D. Bergin. 2009. Attachment in the ry caregiver or parent may instead exhibit antisocial classroom. Educational Review, 21 (2). behaviors. This child, in coming into a classroom, Bowlby, J. 1982. Attachment (2nd Ed.). New York: often will not even look back as the family member Basic Books. leaves. This child will not feel comfortable with Bowlby, J. 1946. Forty-four Juvenile Thieves: Their peers and will often seem belligerent when asked to Characters and Home-Life. London: Bailliere, Tindall perform simple tasks within the classroom. The inse- & Cox. cure child will display no preference for an attach- Bowlby, J. 1951. Maternal Care and Mental Health. ment figure and will be unresponsive to the class- Geneva: WHO (World Health Organization). room culture (Bergin and Bergin 2009). Insecure tod- Bretherton, I. 1992. The origins of attachment theory: dlers will often turn their backs toward their teacher John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Developmental or and will lean away from a proposed Psychology, 28 (5). attachment figure. These children seem to be angry, Bretherton, I. 1993. Bowlby’s legacy to developmen- insensitive, intrusive, and even rejecting (Ainsworth tal psychology. Child and Human 1979, Crittenden 1992). The child who is not securely Development, 28 (1). attached is one who will often need the most Crittenden, P.M. 1992. Quality of attachment in the pre- respectful attention from the teacher. school years. Development and Psychopathology, 4 (2). A teacher will be more effective by displaying Holmes, J. 2001. John Bowlby and Attachment Theory. warmth, respect, and trust to an insecure child. A New York: Routledge Publishing. teacher or caregiver can be that important attach- Kagan, J. 2006. Temperament and the reactions to ment figure for a child who may not have experi- unfamiliarity. 68 (1). enced the secure attachment enjoyed by other mem- Maroda, K.J. 2012. The career of John Bowlby: A case bers of the class. It is important that the teacher study in attachment. PsychCRITIQUES, 57 (17). spend ample time with the child and attempt to Van Der Horst, F.C.P. 2011. John Bowlby: From establish an attachment relationship by being Psychoanalysis to Ethology. Chichester, West Sussex, responsive to the child’s needs, interpreting signals : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and behaviors sensitively, expressing positive regard, and allowing the child to set the pace and direction About the author of social interactions. Sarah Karamati has a master’s degree in child devel- opment from Texas Woman’s University and is an Contributing to a child’s Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) coach working emotional stability with autistic children at Easter Seals North Texas. The history of attachment theory has undergone She is currently pursuing doctoral work at Texas sometimes turbulent modifications and redirections. Woman’s University where she is a graduate assis- Even so, the research has consistently focused on tant. Ms. Karamati’s research interests are in parent- how children form trusting relationships with others. ing, attachment relationships, and social and emo- Teachers, while being responsive and emotionally tional development. She regularly presents at local available to children, also need to understand attach- and regional professional conferences. n

© Texas Child Care quarterly / spring 2014 / VOLUME 37, NO. 4 / childcarequarterly.com