social psychology

1. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY
(LAW039)

2. 10. Explain the term “attachment styles” and
describe four (4) attachment styles that can develop
Attachment
 Attachment refers the particular way in which
you relate to other people
 style of attachment was formed at the very
beginning of your life
 Once established, it is a style that stays with
you and plays out today in how you relate
in intimate relationships and in how you
parent your children

3. Attachment styles
 Security experienced in interpersonal relationships.
 Differential styles initially develop during the
interactions between children and caregiver when
the children acquires basic attitudes about self-
worth and interpersonal trust.
 Understanding your style of attachment is helpful
because it offers you insight into how you felt and
developed in your childhood
 clarifies ways that you are emotionally limited as an
adult and what you need to change to improve your
close relationships and your relationship with your
own children.

4. Two basic attitudes that infant
receive from his mother
 SELF ESTEEM
 confidence in one's own worth or abilities which
means self-respect.
 it is how we perceive our value to the world and
how valuable we think we are to others.
 Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our
relationships, our work
 Examples : loved , valued, important

5.  INTERPERSONALTRUST
 involves that belief that other people are
generally trustworthy, dependable and reliable
 perception you have that other person will not do
anything that harm your interest
 this is the confidence a person or group of people
has in relying on another person or group.
 often seen between married couples

6. Type of Attachment Styles
 Secure
o generally considered the best, healthiest style of
attachment.
o high self esteem and interpersonal trust
o will form lasting committed and satisfying
relationship throughout life
o associated with high need of achievement , low
fear of failure and strong curiosity about
environment
o an ability to share feelings with other people.

7.  Fearful-avoidant
o characterized by the need to have relationships
with others, but also feeling uncomfortable letting
others get that close to you, and constant worry
that if you let someone in, you will get hurt.
o have both a negative view of themselves and a
negative view of other people
o think that they do not deserve to be loved or are
unworthy of the affection of others.
o They also feel that other people are not worthy to
be loved or trusted because other people will
reject or betray them.
o this negative view and fear of rejection that
causes people with fearful-avoidant attachment
to avoid getting too close to others.

8. o low self esteem and interpersonal trust
o most insecure attachment styles tend not to
perform close relationships
o have unhappy lives
o avoiding themselves from other people

9.  Preoccupied
o characterized by a person who has a negative
view of themselves and a positive view of others
o They see others as better than themselves
o low self esteem but high interpersonal trust
o strongly desire close relationship
o believe they are untrustworthy
o vulnerable to being rejected
o They often feel as though people don’t care about
them as much as they care about others and they
feel a sense of unworthiness in relationships
o such people tend to be people pleasers, trying to
avoid conflict and keep those around them happy.

10.  Dismissing
o high self esteem but low interpersonal trust
o fear genuine closeness (mistrust of potential
partners)
o Tendency to reject others and avoid to be rejected
o have the tendency to emotionally distance
themselves from their partner.
o They are often psychologically defended and
have the ability to shut down emotionally
o Even in heated or emotional situations, they are
able to turn off their feelings and not react
o For example, if their partner is distressed and
threatens to leave them, they would respond by
saying, “I don’t care.”