Attachment Styles And Their Influence On Adult Relationships

John Bowlby developed his Attachment Theory to examine and explore the contextual relationships between a child and their caregiver and their behavioral repercussions. He describes it is “a way of conceptualizing the propensity of human beings to make strong affectional bonds to particular others and of explaining the many forms of emotional distress and personality disturbance, including anxiety, anger, depression, and emotional detachment, to which unwilling separation and loss give rise” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 127). An infant’s attachment to their primary caregiver establishes a sense of security, through protection, so the infant is able to explore the world with confidence and without threat and risk. During a child’s

Kim Bartholomew took Bowlby’s theory a step further and proposed four styles of adult attachment based on working models of self and others (Lyddon & Sherry, 2001). These styles were secure, preoccupied, dismissing and fearful. Secure adults feel self worth and expect other people to be trustworthy. Preoccupied adults feel unworthy but feel better about other people. Dismissing adults feel they are worthy but have a negative view of others. And fearfully attached adults tend to feel unworthy and untrusting of others (Lyddon & Sherry, 2001). All of the styles noted except for secure would also fall under the broader category of insecure.

In 1958, the Attachment theory came into existence. It was developed by John Bowlby on the notion that the quality of the parent -child relationship was essential for development and mental health (Howe, 2011, pg, 7). This thinking was in the context of distress shown by children when separated from their parents or when in unfamiliar surroundings. While having credit for the emergence of the attachment theory, Bowlby subsequently carried out a lot of research work with Mary Ainsworth concluding that children view their attachment figures as both a ?safe haven? to return to for comfort and protection and also a ?secure base? from which to explore their environment. The birth of children gives rise to the need to feel loved and wanted by caregivers, (Maclean and Harrison,2015 pg, 103), the absence of which might result in a range of behaviors to either

Attachment theory is the concept of the development, of a psychological and emotional bond, that creates a secure or insecure attachment to a caregiver. Attachment bonds are very important, in regards to personal development. Formulated by John Bowlby in the sixties, he discovered that a child’s development depends significantly, on the strong attachment they form with a caregiver. Functions of Bowlby’s attachment

Attachment research has predominately thought of attachment as a single personality trait constant across relationships. Early research on adult attachment was based on the thought that individual differences were categorical and that people fell into one of several different attachment styles, such as secure, avoidant, or anxious-ambivalent. Although the categorical model continues to guide much of attachment research, it is now challenged by the dimensional model of adult attachment styles. The current study uses modern taxometric methods to compare the two models to see if adults have a categorical attachment style or a dimensional attachment style.

According to attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1979), attachment patterns are formed in the context of early childhood experiences with caregivers and maintained by interpersonal relationships in adulthood. Attachment is defined as an affectionate bond between two individuals that endures through space and time and serves to join them emotionally. Attachment trauma may be especially problematic because of its influence on the course of psychological, social, emotional and physiological development over one 's lifetime. Also, if a child is traumatized by reason of caregiver neglect or maltreatment, significant damage in attachment development may occur. Past research discovered that over two-thirds of maltreated children develop insecure attachment styles (Friedrich, 2002). Moreover, children who have experienced abuse or neglect in early childhood

Attachment theory focuses on the bond between a caregiver and a child and how these fragile bonds, if not made properly has effects on the child’s future. The attachment process itself responds to the developing identity of the child which is very dependent of the sensitivity and guidance of the caregiver. John Bowlby takes attachment theory in a more biological/ evolutionary perspective, in which he views these forming of bonds as a survival mechanism in which the infant insures its survival by attaching themselves to an adult (caregiver) who can meet their needs in order to survive. This take on the attachment theory suggests that parents and infants may be biologically programmed to form an attachment and that each behavior between the child and the caregiver helps facilitate this (Ashford 2013, 266). On a bio-social level children look for this attachment because they are biologically wired to be relate to others and be social. Regardless if the attachment theory is taken through a biological, social or even psychological approach what is certain is that the child views the caregiver as a source of protection, comfort, and emotional regulation (Howe 2009, 43). If a positive attachment is made with the caregiver the child will have confidence in themselves and others, they will be more likely to develop a good self-esteem, autonomy, and relationships with others (Kreutzer 1999, 9).

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth were also two influential individuals who were interested in the phenomena of attachment. The attachment theory was the collaborative work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth who were influenced by the psychodynamic school of thought. They believed that early in life, strong bonds are usually formed to their caregivers, and the quality of those attachments determines the expectations one will maintain on one’s self and others (Nolan-Hoeksema, 2007). Both Bowlby and Ainsworth believed that there are several different forms of attachment in early development, however, the two main types are secure and insecure attachments (Gross, 2011). Children who form secure attachments tend to be more confident that their caregivers will be there when they need them (Nolan-Hoeksema, 2007). This confidence facilitates the courage to explore their environment, returning to their caregivers when needing comfort or care (Nolan-Hoeksema, 2007). As children continue to develop, they will go on to expect that their other relationships will be secure, thus seeking out positive, strong relationships with others (Nolan-Hoeksema, 2007).

The role of attachment styles is also assumed to have a big impact on anxiety disorders in adulthood. Attachment is important in all stages of human life; in childhood it allows a child to maintain connection with a parent for protection and survival and in adolescence and adulthood it allows an individual to seek a safe haven and develop intimate relationships both which help deal with stress. Attachment styles are divided into three categories: secure attachment, anxious-ambivalent attachment and avoidant attachment. Adults and adolescents that are securely attached tend to have high self-esteem and enjoy intimate

There are four types of attachment styles and each of these attachment styles has their own distinct characteristics. Your attachment style is formed very early in life and it affects you throughout your entirity of it. Attachment begins in stages, and by 25 months old a child 's attachment is fully formed with their primary caregivers. Each attachment style in childhood has a related attachment style in adulthood (Chauhan). Secure attachment in childhood is associated with secure attachment in adulthood. Insecure-amvivalent/resistantattachment is associated with Preoccupied attachment in adulthood. Insecure-avoidant attachment is associated with Dismissive-avoidant attachment in adulthood. Finally, Disorganized attachment in childhood is associated with Fearful Avoidant attachment in adulthood. Now to look at the first of our attachment styles, Secure.

The essence of attachment to a developing infant cannot be overstated. It is at the heart of healthy child development. Also, it lays a foundation when it comes to relating with others. It plays a crucial role in influencing the parent's ability to nurture and to be responsive to their children. The effects of attachment to the developing infant are long-term. Bowlby, the developer of the theory of infant-caregiver attachment, attachment security determines the infant’s preferential desire for contact with his or her caregiver (Levine, 23). The child uses the caregiver as a “secure base” from which to explore the environment. When infants develop securely attached relationships to their caregivers, they will have positive behaviours in the future. They also tend to show resiliency to new environments.

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

Attachment styles are the way that others shape our understanding of ourselves. The self is shaped by perspectives of individuals who are significant individuals that matter to us and how early development can affect future relationship styles. The main example that will be used in this journal are caretakers, or parents, and how they can affect the attachment styles of children and their future relationships. There are four different attachment styles, secure, anxious/ambivalent, dismissive, and fearful.

Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The

The theory of attachment is a postulation in developmental psychology that emphasises on the significance of attachment regarding personal development. This theory claimed that individuals have the ability to form an emotional and physical attachment to another person to give them a sense of stability and security. This is vital for an individual’s personal development in terms of risk – taking, branching and growing as a whole. This theory started off with the context of children and parents in the ‘60s and ‘70s. However, it later expanded to cover for adult romantic relationships in the late 1980s. This term was first coined by Psychologist, John Bowlby and developed by Mary Ainsworth, who based her research on pre – existing