EMPATHY &

ATTACHMEN
T
Positive Psychology
GROUP MEMBERS
AFNAN ATA (01-171212-002)

WANIA WAZIR (01-171211-049)

HABIB UL HASSAN (01-171212-022)

ESHA ZESHAN (01-171221-011)

DUA E ZAINAB (01-171212-016)

MUHAMMAD AWAIS RAZA (01-171212-046)

01 04.
INTRODUCTION
. INTERPLAY

02. 05.
ATTACHMENT Table of CASE STUDIES
CONTENTS

03. 06.
EMPATHY CONCLUSION
 WHAT IS
EMPATHY?
The term Empathy was coined from the Greek Word
empatheia (Em= in and pathos= feelings) in the early 20th
century.

 To understand another person's experience by imagining

oneself in that other person's situation.

 To walk in someone’s shoes

POSITIVE
PSYCHOLOGY
The study of what makes life:

- Fulfilling
- Better
- Fruitful
- Promote growth and prosperity
- Works on enhancing our strengths
- Make us focus on the positives of everything.
 Martin Seligman
The father of positive psychology has described multiple visions of what it means to live
happily,

1. the Pleasant Life: Appreciate and use the basic pleasures.

2. The Good Life: Achievement through insight
3. The Meaningful Life: Using our strengths as a source to do something for a purpose
greater than ourselves..
WHAT IS
ATTACHMENT?
Attachment refers to an emotional bond with another person that
fosters growth and positivity.

It provides:
1. Safety
2. Security
3. Comfort
4. Relief
5. Validation
 IMPORTANCE OF EMPATHY &
ATTACHMENT IN POSITIVE
negativity which leads people PSYCHOLOGY
Benefits your health (less stress and less
to be in better
shape with stronger immune systems) Leads to a
happier life

• Improves communications skills. • Higher self esteem

• Leads to teamwork (coherence) • Better behaved
• Creates a healthy work environment • Good with bondings
• Transcends personal relationships • Safer home environment
• Decreases negativity • Secure attachment
• More sensitive and giving • Good emotional regulation
• Higher IQ • Positive and optimistic thinking
ATTACHMENT; Proximity Maintenance:

THEORATICAL 01 The desire to be near the people we are attached

to.

OVERVIEW Safe Haven:

02
It began with Freud's theories about love, but John Bowlby is usually
credited as the father of attachment theory. Returning to the attachment figure for comfort
and safety in the face of a fear or threat.

Psychoanalytic View: Our early attachment styles are established in

childhood through the infant/caregiver relationship.
Secure Base:

There are four distinguishing Characteristics:

03 The attachment figure acts as a base of security
from which the child can explore the
surrounding environment.
Separation Distress:

04 Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the

attachment figure.
 Mary Ainsworth
In 1970s a psychologist Mary Ainsworth further expanded upon Bowlby's work in her now-
famous "Strange Situation" The study consisted of observing children between ages of 12 -
18 months
It had Five sequences:

1. Parent and child are alone in a room.

2. The child explores the room with parental supervision
3. A stranger enters the room, talks to the parent, and approaches the child.
4. The parent quietly leaves the room.
5. The parent returns and comforts the child.
TYPES OF ATTACHMENT
STYLES
1. Secure Attachment Style
2. Ambivalent-Insecure Attachment Style
3. Avoidant-Insecure Attachment Style

Researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth

attachment style known as

4. Disorganized-Insecure Attachment Style

 Role of Attachment in Positive
Psychology
 Milkuliner and Shauver stated in their research that attachment theory belonged under the
‘positive psychology’ umbrella as it provided a logical framework to explain both the
positive as well as negative aspects of human behavior.

 Depending on the caregiver positive states can be promoted as well as squashed within the
child.
‘Positive Psychology and Attachment: Positive Affect as a
Mediator of Developmental Outcomes’
 The study wanted to assess whether positive affect was necessary to mediate the relationship between
attachment styles and development in the four areas: social, cognitive, physical, and psychological.

 From the results of the research, it is seen that people with high attachment anxiety tend to feel fewer positive
emotions and more negative emotions, which leads to lower social, physical and psychological outcomes, than
those with lower levels of attachment anxiety.

 The relation between attachment and physical health was fully mediated by positive affect whereas positive
outcomes were created in social and psychological domains with the overlap of attachment theory and state
affect.

 In conclusion, children with attentive and caring parental figures, who fulfill their needs, experience more
positive effects which results in positive and advantageous development in the four major domains.
The Relationship of Attachment to Resilience and their Impact on ‘
’Perceived Stress
 Attachment and resilience were related such that people with secure attachment cope better with
stress as do people with high resilience.
 There was no correlation between attachment and avoidance coping strategies and similarly
Resilience was also negatively related to avoidance coping strategies

‘Adult Attachment as Mediator between Recollections of

Childhood and Satisfaction with Life’
 A harmonious and loving family and parental support are associated with secure
attachment. Whereas parental rejection and neglect were related to insecure attachment.
Furthermore, people who were securely attached had higher life satisfaction what those
with insecure attachment.
EMPATHY; Exploring the real deal
TYPES Cognitive empathy
OF
Empathy
EMOTIONAL empathy

COMPASSIONATE
EMPATHY
 Empathy
Fostering
Positive
Wellbeing

Interpersonal and positive

psychology
relationships,
Prosocial
Behavior

Trust and
Cooperation
 EMPERICAL
EVIDENCE
 Greater Life Satisfaction

 Lower Level Of Stress-sense Of Belonging And Fulfillment ;Aligning With The

Principles Of Positive Psychology.
Interplay b/w Empathy and Attachment
•Introduction: Empathy and attachment are closely
intertwined, and their interaction plays a crucial role in
shaping an individual’s social and emotional development.

•Pattern 1: Attachment acts as a precursor variable for

empathy. Newborns develop their social emotions based on
attachment.
•Pattern 2: Empathy is one of the attachment’s antecedent
variables. Empathy can lead to altruistic action, which leads
to attachment.
•Pattern 3: Empathy and attachment can influence each
other
 Impact of Empathy and
Attachment Interaction
 Promotion of Prosocial Behavior: Empathy can encourage prosocial behavior when it is
fostered by safe connection.

 Development of Secure Attachment: Empathy is associated with secure attachment. A mother

who constantly responds to her infant’s needs aids the newborn in developing a secure bond.

 Regulation of Affect: A person with a secure attachment type is likely to have appropriate
emotional regulation skills. They can empathize with someone in distress without becoming
overwhelmed by their own distress.
 CASE STUDIES
Harlow separated the infant monkeys from
their natural mothers shortly after birth and
placed the infant monkeys in cages. Some
monkeys were near their peers while some
were kept totally isolated. Also, inside the
cages were two surrogate mothers one made
of wire, and one made of cloth. The wire
mother was a doll made of wire mesh that had
a bottle attached to it. The wire mother
provided nourishment in the form of food.
The cloth mother was also a doll but made of
foam rubber covered with soft terry cloth.
This mother did not provide nourishment, but
rather provided contact comfort and warmth.
John, the project lead, presented a well-researched project to his boss, Sonia, and the sales
team. Despite Sonia's visible stress, John proceeded with the presentation. However, Sonia's
harsh response caused embarrassment and demotivation among the team. As the week
progressed, Sonia, realizing her mistake, struggled to express remorse due to challenges in
apologizing.
To address the situation, Sonia could consider alternative behaviors for apology, like
discussing important points through email, appreciating John's past performance, or
organizing a team lunch. Acknowledging faults and expressing regret is crucial for
leadership, emphasizing the significance of empathy in understanding others' perspectives.
Empathy shapes individuals, fosters harmony, resolves conflicts, and establishes a
better workplace.
Implications in Future Research
Positive Psychology stresses on the significance of empathy and attachment. Future studies following these ideas
may have significant progress in the field:

1. Improved Interpersonal Relationships: studies related empathy and attachment can help in developing good
interpersonal relations.
2. Positive Guidance and the Development of Children: Attachment in positive psychology can bring in
efficient parenting techniques.
3. Treatment for Mental Illness: Empathy can be added to therapeutic interventions to increase their efficacy.
4. Encouragement of Altruism and Compassion: Methods to enhance empathy can lead to encouraged
prosocial behavior and s sense of community.
5. Cultural Considerations: To see how empathy and attachment differ in cultures.
6. Positive Education: Empathy and attachment in instructional methods can promote positive education.
7. Neuroscientific Insight: through these interventions we can comprehend brain processes that hold empathy
and connection.
8. Technology and Virtual Relationships: future studies can look into how virtual interactions affect connection
and empathy.
Personal reflection:

It is subjective for each individual. This technique can

enhance our insight about our own emotional intelligence,
general well-being and interpersonal dynamics.
THANK
YOU
VERY