Chapter 3: The Importance Of Repetition Is For Babies

Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson (1964) also formulated a theory of attachment based on their longitudinal study of 60 babies in Glasgow looking at the gradual development of attachments; they visited them monthly for the first year of their lives and returned again at 18 months. (Bailey et al. 2008). Similar to Bowlby’s research, Schaffer and Emerson also formulated four key stages of attachment and produced

A healthy or secure attachment develops over time because of a caregiver’s consistent, sensitive care that they have towards a young child. Each time a caregiver interacts in ways that focus fully on the individual child, it furthers connections. When a caregiver attempts to read a baby’s cues and tries to respond to the child’s needs and wishes, the baby learns the caregiver is a source of comfort and security. Children with secure attachments learn that their world is a safe place because the people in it are caring and understanding. They also learn that their ways of communicating result in others responding and understanding them. This reinforces their efforts to continue to express themselves to others. Consistent back-and-forth exchanges that happen over time are one of the ways to build positive relationships. Children with secure attachments feel confident in exploring their environment, which allows them to learn. It’s the accumulation of intimacy during these numerous interactions that turns ordinary tasks into a relationship-based curriculum.

Early attachments of children to their caregivers are a widely studied subject among psychologists. Childhood attachment theories draw their theses and components from cognitive, behavioral, and psychoanalytic branches of psychology; in the form that attachments deals with what a child is thinking, doing, and the analyses of these attachments in later life (Weiten, 2005). "Attachment refers to the close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their caregivers." (Weiten, 2005) The age that attachments start forming is usually between 6 to 9 months, depending on the child; prior to this, a child can be handed off to babysitters with little protest, but after attachments begin forming children may develop separation anxiety (Weiten, 2005, Wicks-Nelson & Israel, 2009).

There is a critical period during infancy known as attachment, the emotional and physiological closeness between an infant and their caregiver, which facilitates the maturation of the brain systems. Such brain systems are involved in self-regulatory abilities like attention, behavioral and emotions management, etc. When an infant is unable to control these abilities then they will depend on attentive adults (caregivers), to help regulate their needs. Researchers, Schore & Schore (2008), explicates the expansion of John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969). Ordinarily, Bowlby's Theory, suggests that as the infant develops cognitively, the extent of attachment will shift with the caregiver’s attentiveness to the child’s needs. The expansion of Bowlby’s

Attachment is an affectional tie that an infant forms with a caregiver—a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time [1]. Though attachment can be formed in different ways. Attachment can be used in a relationship, such as, a women growing extreme feelings for a man and the feeling is mutual, but the women begins to always wanting to be around. Though, this essay will not cover intimate relationships. This essay will be covering attachment among infants and how their stages of attachment with their caregivers.

Attachment is a term used to describe the dependency relationship a child develops towards his or her primary caregivers. It is first observable during the latter half of the first year of life and develops progressively over the first four years of life. It is most readily observed in the behavior of children when they are sick, injured, tired, anxious, hungry or thirsty. Although early attachment research focused on the mother and infant, it is now generally accepted that children develop multiple attachment relationships. An ‘attachment figure’ is defined as someone who provides physical and emotional care has continuity and consistency in the child’s life, and who has an emotional investment in the child’s life. This can include parents (biological, foster, adopted), grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and alternate caregivers (e.g. child-care workers). Given that children are able to form multiple attachments, the question has been asked as to which attachment relationship is most influential on children’s developmental outcomes.

Strengths of attachment theory are that interaction between a care giver and an infant (Berghaos, 2011). This theory made us understand the importance of responding to an infant’s cry can help them form an attachment (Berghaos, 2011). This led us to understand Ainsworth idea of that interaction as a secure base for the infant (Berghaos, 2011). Critics have said that some early attachments do not become consistent throughout the individuals life (Berghaos, 2011). They believe that attachment theory is too simple to explain adult relationships and psychopathology (Berghaos, 2011).

Attachment in infants is defined as the deep, emotional bond formed between the infant and a primary caregiver, in order to meet the infants own needs and for purposes of survival. This bond becomes the framework for further social, emotional and intellectual development. This relationship modifies the developing neural network of the infant and thus moulds the response of the growing child to various stimuli. Most importantly, it is based on this bond that the child builds its mental representation of its caregiver, and is crucial for this relationship going forward. Human attachment theories describe the characteristics of this relationship between humans; primarily an infant and its mother, or upon whom they are dependent.

Attachment also affords a type of reciprocity between parent and child, because both benefit from their relationship to each other. The child benefits by receiving affective care form the parent and the parent benefits by experiencing a sense of value for caring for the child. If a child has a secure attachment pattern, it will more readily accept the caregiver’s advice and instructions since he or she trust the caregiver.

Attachment theory, it refers to an affectionate bond. “A relatively extended and enduring connection with the partner is important as a unique individual is interchangeable with no other” Ainsworth (1989) cited in Gross (2003) hand out in class (03/06/2013).The aim of this attachment is for the infant to remain in close proximity to the attachment figure as she is considered the secure base and the infant would become distressed on separation. Proximity gives the feeling of closeness, relief and of being safe and that sustenance can be provided.

caregiver in the early years of life is the key for an infants’ future emotional, social and cognitive development. Bowlby explained that this primary attachment relationship develops because infants need a mechanism to ensure survival. Attachment is therefore an adaptive behaviour which ensures the infant receives food, security and a safe base from which to explore the world. Several innate behaviours have evolved in order to elicit caregiving such as crying and

From the moment a child is born, it craves the contact of its mother and those bonds form almost instantly. Why those bonds are necessary to life as we know it are so ancient and innate in society, they are hardly questioned. However, what are the real psychological reasons behind the strong emotional attachment and bonding that takes place between a baby and a caretaker? Each psychological perspective has a different focus, and this focus then brings about seven different theories as to why this attachment takes place.

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth 's attachment theories derive from the idea that in early development infants develop different attachment behaviors in relation to their caregivers. This emotional bond between an infant and their parents can have an enduring impact on future relationships throughout an individual 's life. Research has shown that there does not have to be a biological component for an infant to bond with a parent. Instead the bond or attachment is related to “quality and quantity” of interaction between parent and child. (Boyd, & Bee, p. 130)

Attachment, as defined by “Infants, Children, and Adolescents” is the strong emotional connection that develops between an infant and caregiver, which provides the infant with a sense of joy, comfort, and emotional security (Berk, 2012, p. 264). Between 6 to 12 months of age, infants typically have developed said strong emotional connection to familiar people who have responded to their need for comfort, care, and other needs. While many individuals might suggest that a baby’s emotional connection to the mother serves as the basis upon which all future relationships are built, how this strong emotional connection develops has been a source of debate for decades. Theories that attempt to explain the emotional bond between an

Attachment theory is a concept that explores the importance of attachment in respect to direct development. “It is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space” (Bowlby, 1969; McLeod, 2009). It is the relationship that develops within the first year of the infant’s life between them and their caregiver. The theory also relates to the quality of the attachment that is shown in the behavior of the infant (Rieser-Danner, 2016). Attachment theory shows that infants need a close nurturing relationship with their caregiver in order to have a healthy relationship. Lack of response from the caregiver