Attachment Theory: A Case Study

Broderick and Blewitt (2015) stated, John Bowlby and Erik Erikson “proposed that the relationships that an infant has with one or a few caregivers during the first year of life provide him with a working model of himself and of others” (p. 133). Attachment theory plays a large role in cognitive and emotional development because it sets a foundation for the child. A case study of Angela, a 17-year-old mother, and her 11 month-old son, will dive into the attachment relationship between the two and extenuating circumstances surrounding that attachment. Angela is attempting to raise her son under the roof of her mother; who doesn’t support a paternal relationship for Adam. Angela’s attachment relationship with her son is an example of intergenerational transmission of attachment due to her attachment style with her own mother. Studies have shown positive and negative influences of teen mothers living in a home supervised by an adult, concerns with maternal attachment leading to disruptive behaviors, young children being untrusting of a mother due to an insecure attachment, and potential interventions to support a positive attachment relationship.

John Bowlby, the backbone of attachment theories will be discussed throughout this essay to explain and evaluate the key theories of attachment. Health and well-being which is made up of four factors ‘physical, intellectual, emotional and social ' (Jones, 2016), will also be discussed within the essay. The definition of attachment is ‘an act of attaching or the state of being attached. ' (Dictionary, 1400) This will be showed in the assignment, using theorists to analyse the meaning. Sharing the strengths and weaknesses in some theorists will help conclude this assignment.

EFT is an attachment based research theory, that suggest that couples have strong need to stay connected (bond) to each other. As such, bonding is very important in marital relationships and if the bond is disappearing, then stressful and negative cycle pattern begins to emerge. Thus, the goal of EFT is to support couples walk through a process of healing (overcoming the negative patterns, rebuilding the connection again, and fortify the bond) (Goldenberg, Stanton, & Goldenberg, 2017). From the assessment that has carried out by the therapist it is clear that Tam and Lisa do not have what it takes to manage or settle conflicts without it escalating into something else. As such, the bonding between them is disappearing and it’s becoming stressful and disturbing to them and their children. Because Jimmy and Emma even though do not see their parent fight or disagree in the open but they can sense the disconnection between their parent and feel the tension whenever both of them where at home. More so, because of the negative pattern that has emerge as a result of lack of secure attachment, there is no more interactions between the couple and each others needs are not met. From the case conceptualization, and to decide what treatment plan should target or focus on the therapist will use the step-by-step treatment manual provided by Johnson and Greenberg (1995) as cited in (Goldenberg et al., 2017) for the therapy process:

The Attachment theory is a psychological, ethological and evolutionary theory that gives a descriptive and explanatory framework of understanding interpersonal relationship between human beings. Presented by John Bowlby, the important tenet of this theory is that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to progress generally.

The Development of Attachment Theory and Its Strengths and Limitations English psychiatrist John Bowlby is a leading and influential figure within the history of social reform. His work has influenced social work policies and legislation relating to child psychiatry and psychology. Bowlby was trained as a psychoanalyst, and was influenced by Freudians theories, but became influenced again in his attachment theory by the work of ethologists. The ethologists theory concentrates on looking at the role parents play rather than only the child. Bowlby believes that parenting has strong ties with biology and it explains why there are such strong emotions attached.

This essay will examine key research of attachment theories, parenting styles and emotional needs of children and how parents and carers support that. Attachment theory is the basis of building relationships with your care givers and people around you. I will be describing how attachment theory relates with the emotional needs of the children and how parenting can influence this. Children either develop a secure or an unsecure attachment with their caregiver, either plays a huge part in their children’s emotional development. It needs to be explained throughout this essay what it is that parents and carers can do to provide secure attachments with our children, and support their children’s emotional needs.

Theory based strategies help carers of Looked after Children to facilitate and rebuild secure attachments when they are supporting and working with children in care, or if they move placements for example, into an adoptive or foster family. These strategies help the carers manage and understand challenging behaviour that is often caused as a consequence of an insecure attachment. Attachment can be defined as a long-lasting bond that is developed by infants towards their parents and is described as ‘a positive emotional link between two people – a link of affection’. (Lindon,1998,35,Cited in Crawford et al, 2005). Attachment disorders can impact on a child’s developmental wellbeing throughout childhood and into adolescence. Evaluating the attachment theory can show different ways these disorders affect the relationship of the child and carer.

Ciechanowski et. al. (2001) conducted a study aimed at gaining insight into patient and provider factors that lead to lack of treatment adherence in diabetic patients by applying the attachment theory model. The sample consisted of 367 patients suffering from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The tools that were administered upon the sample assessed treatment adherence, patient-provider communication, illness severity, attachment style, and depression. To investigate whether patient provider communication and attachment style had a significant impact on treatment adherence, analyses of covariance were applied. It was found that the patients that exhibited the attachment style of dismissing attachment and reported patient-provider communication as

The theory of attachment was first proposed by a British psychoanalyst John Bowlby (1907-1990) who described it as a ‘lasting psychological connectedness between human beings’ (1988). According to psychologist Mary Anisworth attachment “may be defined as an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one-a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time: Attachment is a bond that develops between an infant and their main caregiver usually the mother. Researchers Bowlby, Anisworth, Main and Solomon suggested that this attachment between infant and caregiver may have influence throughout their lives.

Tammy James is a 35 year old African American female, born female. She currently has a boyfriend, but is not married, and she has also never been married. Tammy is currently working as a Home Care specialists for the elderly population in an agency which the agency provides healthcare and personal care in the patient’s home. She does not work there full-time, but her grandmother provides a lot of financial stability for the mother and her children. Tammy has three children ages five and seven years old, and a seven month old. Tammy and her three children live with her grandmother in a single-family home. Tammy’s speech is within normal limits (WNL), and rapport is becoming established successfully through weekly home visiting and unconditional positive regard. Tammy’s mood euthymic and affect is congruent to content, she is Oriented X4. She is neatly groomed in loose fitting pants, and tank top with sweater, closed-toe shoes, and her hair is pinned back. Tammy has had previous experience with Child Development

Attachment theory is a psychological model that provides an influential, biologically driven explanation of how the parent-child interaction emerges and how it influences human development over a life span. The term attachment refers to the complex set of related thought processes and behaviors towards a primary care giver. The attachment behaviors are biologically guided by our natural instinct for protection and safety. This evolved behavioral system organizes human motivation, emotions, cognition, and memory. The attachment relationship that an individual creates in infancy effects their growth, behavior in other relationships, risk taking, and mental health through their human development (George, 2014, p. 97). I chose to use attachment theory to understand Carla’s current situation because the theory has been powerful in understanding the range of relationships patterns that develop between mother and their infants and children. It has been shown that children who experience inadequate parenting are at a much higher risk for an insecure attachment style and experience more interpersonal difficulties in adulthood especially with relationships. Carla grew up in a very inconsistent environment her whole life. Using attachment theory I am analyzing how her childhood shaped who she is as a woman and the choices she made that ultimately brought her to where she is today.

from a family member. Savage (2008) alludes to the attachment theory and argument that suggests that a supportive family enhances a student’s ability to handle difficult life transitions. For first generation college students, it may be important to include parental involvement as a means of trying to mediate between the different expectancies students may experience in their home lives from parents and family members who do not relate to the college experience and the demands placed on them to assimilate to their college peer groups (Haiso, 1992).

In the case study “Associations between Marijuana Use During Emerging Adulthood and Aspects of the Significant Other Relationship in Young Adulthood,” they are trying to test two theories, which are the attachment theory and the role incompatibility theory. The attachment theory is a theory that explains how a strong emotional and physical attachment to at least one caregiver is critical for personal development. By using this the attachment theory they are trying to correlate the relationship between how having good relationship with your parents can prevent you from having a bad relationship during your late adulthood. The Role incompatibility theory, is define as deviant behaviors. One of the most common deviant behaviors is the usage of

Many psychologists have come and gone, and many different theoretical orientations have been developed. With each orientation has come a new perspective on development, behaviour and mental processes. Some are similar, yet others could not be more contradictory. Attachment is one such theoretical orientation, developed by John Bowlby out of his dissatisfaction with other existing theories. Although Bowlby rejected psychoanalytical explanations for early infant bonds, the theory of attachment was influenced in part by the principles of psychoanalysis; in particular the observations by Ana Freud and Dorothy Burlingham of young children separated from

This behavior can be explained by the caregiver’s unpredictable and unstable behavior. Because of the distress of the caregiver’s possible abandonment, the infant will go to extreme measures to preserve that attachment and will be more alert to signs of abandonment or dismissal.