A Systems Approach toward the Functional Connections of Attachment and Fear

Abstract

DEVELOPMENT, 1975, 46, 801-817. Proceeding from J. Bowlby's attachment theory and W. A. Mason's arousal theory, a control model is developed that is capable of accounting for basic processes of mammalian social behavior. In particuW, the model simulates the transition from a state of attachment to familiar conspecifics and fear of strangers to a stage of detachment from the familiar and exploration of the stranger. Seme of the model's predictions were tested in animal experiments and proved to be in satisfactory correspondence with the behavior actoally observe

Affective and Deliberative Processes in Risky Choice: Age Differences in Risk Taking in the Columbia Card Task

“…These models claim that, in contrast to traditional cognitive-developmental models in the tradition of Jean Piaget (see, e.g., Baird & Fugelsang, 2004), increased risk taking is not caused by characteristics of adolescent cognitive processes alone but that affective processes-particularly the balance between affective and deliberative processes-are crucial in adolescent risk taking. Consistent with these dual-system models and based on behavioral and developmental neuroscience research findings, our hypothesis is that increased adolescent risk taking is more likely to occur when affective and motivational processes are involved (e.g., Bischof, 1975Bischof, , 1985Byrnes et al, 1999;Casey et al, 2008;Galvan, Hare, Voss, Glover, & Casey, 2007;Loewenstein, Weber, Hsee, & Welch, 2001;Steinberg, 2008;Weber, Shafir, & Blais, 2004;Wilson & Daly, 1985). Because hypothetical risky choice scenarios, such as choices between monetary lotteries without outcome feedback, typically trigger only minor affective processes, our hypothesis predicts that increased adolescent risk taking would not usually be found with such measures.…”

The Responses of Pregnant Mares to Visual Stimulation with Special Reference to the Changes in Behavior and Electrocardiogram

“…Stimu lation at low levels elicits exploratory be havior and that at higher level evokes flight corresponding to the threshold which depends on the internal state of the animal, so that an animal encountering a novel object is in a state of conflict as to whether to flee or explore [3]. In the present study, after the visual stimulation, all the mares explored the horse silhouette, but the preg nant mares approached the silhouette in a round about way, while non-pregnant mares made a beeline for the silhouette .…”

The Challenge of Constructing Psychologically Believable Agents

“…The ZM has some roots in Bowlby's attachment theory (Bowlby, 1980). As attachment theory is formulated in terms of control systems theory and information processing, it is supposed to be very suitable for simulations and several architectures have been developed based on attachment theory (Bischof, 1975;Horswill, 2008;Petters & Waters, 2010).…”