In a message dated 30 Apr 97 at 6:23, Howard Olson says:

 >         It is exciting to me that Self-Deception is being analyzed
 >         in
 > terms of the psychopathy or sociopathy of politicians. I guess that
 > is an important application of the concept. If this could be more
 > broadly exposed to the public it might have a liberating effect on
 > humanity.

The only effective way to disseminate these concepts is through
empirical research projects which study mother-infant interactions as
from birth under the theoretical framework of Attachment Theory, the
only psychological theory which can be deemed scientific as it
exposes itself to refutation (Popper: The Logic of Scientific
Discovery)

Perhaps a few words on Attachment Theory may help show how germane
this body of knowledge is to the construction of a new democratic
society. So, I'll try to add a brief outline of its contents:

Bowlby's Attachment Theory advances a multidisciplinary stance in
which psychiatry is integrated with ethology and sociobiology,
psychobiology, the cybernetic theory of control systems and modern
structural approach to cognitive development. In spite of the fact
that the integration of these disciplines was first undertaken in
order to understand the origin, function and development of the
child's early socio-emotional relations, Bowlby's Theory of
Attachment is in actual fact deeply embedded in a general theory of
behaviour which is an outgrowth of these manifold origins.

The concept of attachment as conceived by Bowlby differs deeply from
other theoretical approaches in a number of important respects. For
instance, attachment behaviour is seen as belonging to a behavioural
system (Bowlby (1969-1982): Attachment & Loss, vol. 1: Attachment)
and not in terms of a particular discrete behaviour. The expression
"behavioural system" has been borrowed by Bowlby from the ethologists
who use it instead of the term 'instinct', insofar as this term is
viewed as nonexplanatory and furthermore leading to simplistic
theorization.

The term "behavioural system" stands for the underlying
organizational structure mediating a variety of observable discrete
behaviours. Even though this underlying structure is thought to be
neuroendocrine in nature, no claim is forwarded as to extant
isomorphic mechanisms within the CNS with the proposed behavioural
systems. The hypothesis Bowlby advances is akin to a software
programme whereby computerized application performs certain tasks
withouth tight references to the kind of circuitry the computer is
equipped with.

Behavioural systems are assisted by feedback mechanisms allowing the
individual to correct the ongoing behaviour which may show certain
degrees of discrepancy with the behaviour which is necessary to
attain the desired goal.

The attachment behavioural system in human infants is mediated by
discrete observable behaviours: smiling, crying, following,
approaching, clinging, etc. Each and every behaviour has the
predictable outcome of increasing proximity with the caregiver.

Pride of place is given in Bowlby's Theory of Attachment to the
biological function of behaviour (Bowlby, Attachment & Loss, vols.
1-3). According to contemporary evolutionary thinking, structures
and behavioural systems are now present in the population because
they contributed to the reproductive success of the bearers in the
environment of evolutionary adaptedness (which is the environment in
which the species emerged). What is then the biological function of
attachment, that which gives survival advantage to the individuals
genetically biased to seek and keep proximity between infant and
caregiver?: protection of the infant from harm.

Under certain ecological conditions, Natural Selection favours
individuals who invest heavily on childcare and upbringing. These
parents protect (they actually protect their own genes) their
offspring from predatory and parasitic animals. During evolutionary
time, strong selection pressures have led individuals to discriminate
between their own and other young (Bateson, PPG, 1979, "How do
sensitive periods arise and what are they for?", Animal Behaviour,
27, 470-86). Filial imprinting is a phenomenon whereby the young
quickly learn to recognize their parents thereby following them
everywhere, keeping proximity to them and avoiding contact with any
other but close kin. The young need to discriminate between the
parent that cares for them and other member of their species because
parents discriminate between their own offspring and other young of
the same species and may actually attack young which are not their
own.

Both selective pressures, protection from predation and filial
imprinting contribute in important ways to the formation and
strengthening of attachment bonds, serving the purpose of obtaining
and maintaining an optimal proximity between young and parents.

In a paper entitled "The Nature of the Child's Tie to his Mother"
(1958, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 350-73) Bowlby
proposes that the infant's bond with his mother is mediated by just
such species-characteristic behaviour patterns and not by the
mother's role in feeding or otherwise satisfying the infant's
biological needs. Thus attachment behaviour is held to be a kind of
social behaviour tantamount to that of mating or parental behaviour
and is deemed to have a function specific to itself.

A human infant's attachment behavioural system becomes apparent
through discrete observable such as smiling and crying, which are
deemed to possess a signalling function that serves to activate
maternal behaviour and bring the adult into proximity to the child.
Rooting, grasping, sucking, following, approaching, clinging are
behaviours whereby the infant plays an active role in seeking
proximity and contact. As from birth these behaviours become
coordinated and focused on the mother (or attachment figure) to form
the basis of attachment. In any case, the infant becomes attached to
the caregiver with whom he has had more interaction, generally his
mother. As the infant develops, he becomes increasingly effective in
seeking and maintaining proximity to his preferred figure.

When the child achieves locomotion a new behavioural system becomes
activated, that of exploratory behaviour. Exploration of the
environment is antithetical to attachment. It is of the utmost
importance to focus the relationship of the infant to his mother as
keeping a balance in the interplay between both systems.

One of the most important functions of the attachment behavioural
system is to intervene in the baby's excursions into the environment,
in responso to a variety of potentially dangerous events, thereby
deactivating the exploratory system and activating the attachment
system thus seeking proximity to his mother.

Several studies show that children approach their caregivers not
only in response to dangerous external stimuli but also they do so to
check the availability and attentiveness of the caregiver, in a sort
of permanent monitoring activity. After such checking the child
wanders off to play again; after a while he returns again, and so on.
This kind of behavioural pattern is referred to in the literature as
the baby using his mother as a Secure Base (Ainsworth, 1978,
Patterns of Attachment).

Affectional bonds are formed as a result of interactions with the
attachment figure, that is to say, between child and parent.
Emotional life is seen as dependent on the formation, maintenance,
disruption or renewal of attachment relationships. Consequently, the
psychology and psychopathology of emotion is deemed to be largely the
psychology and psychopathology of affectional bonds.

Psychopathology is regarded as due to a person having suffered or
still be suffering the consequences of disturbed patterns of
attachment, leading the person to have followed a deviant pathway of
development. Infancy, chilhood and adolescence are seen as sensitive
periods during which attachment behaviour develops -normally or
deviously- according to the experience the individual has with his
attachment figures.

Finally, loss or threat of loss of the attachment figure is seen as
the principal pathogenic agent in the development of psychopathology.

Juan Carlos Garelli, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Early Development
University of Buenos Aires

Find Attachment Research Center Home Page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3041