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On the evolution of attachment-disordered behaviour.

H Fischer-Mamblona

Attachment & Human Development

|November 16, 2001

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Attachment disorders in goslings, caused by isolation, manifest as increased escape behavior and apathy. Addressing fear and fostering secure attachment can restore normal social behaviors, with implications for human psychological development.

Area of Science:

Ethology
Psychoanalysis
Developmental Psychology

Background:

Isolation and lack of a secure primary attachment object can lead to developmental issues.
Fear significantly impacts behavior, hindering the formation of new attachments.
Unresolved conflicts between the urge for attachment and fear result in disordered behaviors like displacement activities and apathy.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of isolation on attachment and escape behavior using a gosling model.
To explore the relationship between fear, attachment, and behavioral development.
To draw implications for human behavior and psychological disorders.

Main Methods:

Observation of a gosling raised in complete isolation.
Analysis of behavioral changes in response to environmental modifications (reduction of escape motivation).

Related Experiment Videos

Synthesis of ethological and psychoanalytical theories.

Main Results:

Isolation progressively increased escape behavior in the gosling.
Attachment-disordered behaviors, including displacement activities and apathy, were observed.
Reduction of escape motivation facilitated the return to normal attachment behavior and the acceptance of offspring.
Displacement activities and apathy ceased once normal attachment was re-established.

Conclusions:

Fear and attachment, rather than aggression and sexuality, are primary drivers of social development in animals and humans.
A healthy balance between fear and attachment is crucial for the development of social relationships.
Findings suggest potential therapeutic approaches for attachment disorders by managing fear and fostering secure attachments.