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Topic 11

Social relationships

Relationships

Attachments

Peer relationships

Definitions

affectional bond: enduring tie with partner valued above others, closeness is important (parent to child, most friendships, siblings) (places? pets?)

attachment: as above plus emotional bond which includes sense of security and comfort (child to parent, life partner, very close friend)

attachment behaviours: allow proximity & formation of attachments (eye contact, smiling, touching, hugging, crying, shared behaviours)
 
 

Bowlby

INFANT ATTACHMENT

1. Nonfocussed attachment: innate behaviours
2. Focus on primary caregiver: smile, vocalise, proximity promoting function for a few, secure
3. Secure Base: proximity promoting & seeking, safe base, social referencing, fear of strangers, separation protest

CHILDHOOD ATTACHMENT (preschoolers and primary schoolers)

1. attachment behaviours less obvious, still seek closeness, social referencing, cognitive "persuasion", separation protest dissapears, stressful situations cause difficulties
2. other relationships are affectional

ADOLESCENTS

• parent attachments: conflicts (Erikson, Piaget) seem to negate but distancing, value base, emotional base, attachment behaviours all but dissapear
• partner attachments now become possible, behaviours re-emerge (touching, holding hands, kissing etc)

INTERNAL WORKING MODEL

• self scheme
• relationship scheme (social scripts)

Ainsworth

• Quality of attachments
• Securely attached: many behaviours, social referencing, low seeking & promoting, low separation protest
• Insecure (detached avoidant) avoid contact after reunion, all treated similarly, non resistant
• Insecure (resistant ambivalent) upset, no comfort, anger
• Insecure (disorg/disorient) dazed, confused, contradictory

Horizontal Relationships

• Infants, preschoolers: direct interest (touch, pull, hit), parallel play, preferences
• School Age: shared play, gender groups, gender role play, rituals, groups meld & change, rules for belonging
• Adolescents: mixed gender groups, greater time to peers, share feelings emotions aspirations for independence
• gender issues: aggression, risk taking, dependency, nurturing/generosity/helping, sociability, compliance, crying
• popularity/rejection: friendly, supportive, outgoing, gregarious, physically able & attractive, physically larger, youngest in family, good at specific things, successful at school

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