Summary Attachment: the state of art, lecture

Attachment: state of the art
College 3 30-11-2016

Nature and nurture Temperament and Attachment

Nature and nurture
 Interaction between inborn characteristics and external influence
 Temperament and personality, genetic makeup, (neuro)biological characteristics
Biology in attachment research
3 classes, but distinction not absolute:
 Psychophysiological, e.g.
- Heart rate
- Skin conductance
- Cortisol, activity of the stress system.
 Neurobiological, e.g. measure brain activity
- EEG
- fMRI
 Hormones & neurotransmitters, you can manipulate them
- Oxytocin, Vasopressin (social behaviours)
- Testosterone, Estrogen
- Dopamine (neurotransmitter, important in rewarding social interaction), Serotonin
(neurotransmitter that has a lot to do with emotional behaviour)

Measuring heart rate
Been used for a long time, developed around the 20th century
 EKG: Electrocardiogram is the name of the image you get (Dutch: ECG)
 Beats per minute (60-80 bpm), average in relaxed condition.
 R-peak is the heartbeat
 Inter-beat interval, RR interval, Heart Period (750-1000 ms): the moments between
successive heartbeats, different names.

Heart rate
 Various influences on heart rate
- Reflexive/mechanical
- Neural (sympathetic, parasympathetic)
 Heart rate increases when energy demand increases
- Activity
- Stress response (fear, anxiety)

Attachment and heart rate
 Sroufe & Waters, 1977
- Secure, avoidant and resistant infants
- Heart rate during SSP
- HR increased during separation
- HR decreased during reunion only for B
o Resistant infants remain distressed
o Avoidant infants distressed despite outward appearance