Childhood Attachment Analysis

Individuals that portray secure attachment styles tend to value relationships that provide trust, comfort, and availability. In contrast, individuals with insecure-avoidant or anxious- ambivalent styles of attachment tend to not be as capable of recognizing, acknowledging, or valuing secure-based relationships (Waters, 2004). Based off of Mary Mains work dealing with adult attachment, Bowlby went on to theorize that an individual’s self-concept and social interactions during childhood result in future development of different styles of attachment behaviors, known as continuity (Hazan et al., 1986). Li and Chen (2012) observed:

In an experiment comparing positive attachment to positive self-esteem, it was concluded that, “securely attached children were likely to develop a positive working model of self ”. (p 2505, The Internal Working Model of the Self, Attachment, and Competence in Five-Year-Olds). Conversely, the same study proved children with poor attachment, had a more difficult time in social interactions. (p 2505, The Internal Working Model of the Self, Attachment, and Competence in Five-Year-Olds). The positive working model is one component to help create positive socio-economic development for the child.

Fraley (2002) completed a meta analysis of studies concerning attachment in order to investigate the level of attachment pattern’s continuity throughout life. The study indicated that there was a certain stability of the attachment pattern, and that the stability is independent of time. Even though it is theorized that a secure pattern will be likely to stay unchanged, it is still indicated that experiences such as bad relationships will be able to change the attachment pattern (Fraley,

Participant’s attachment security was contextually primed through one of four conditions: recollect personal memories, reading a story, viewing a picture of supportive others, or subliminal exposure to proximity-related words. It was hypothesized that priming for attachment security would increase empathic responses when thinking of more positive self-models and lead to reduced personal distress. In regards to styles of attachment, it was hypothesized that anxiously-attached individuals would be less empathetic due to negative models of self while avoidant-attached individuals hold negative models of others. Mikulicer et al., (2001) research consisted of five studies all following similar

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of attachment relationships women represented to their children while incarcerated. Many women who face incarceration are separated from their children. These children often have a difficult time with social and emotional development. They are often subjected to high-risk environments that may foster criminal behaviors (Huebner & Gustafson, 2007). The researchers looked at a prison that provided women with nurseries, so they were able to care for their children while serving their time. This study was conducted over a five-year program. Infants who stayed with their mothers for at least one year in the nursery were compared to those infants who stayed with their mothers for less than a year

With the families that I encounter, It would be best to use two person psychology. One person psychology would not help me build a relationship with my client and it will do more harm than good for the client due to the nature of our relationship. I would become an additional outlet for the client if I were to utilize two person psychology in order to build the relationship with the family and the child. It is important to establish this relationship because the family will benefit from the agency’s services.

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.

Investigators conducted a series of experiments to investigate the relationship between insecure attachment styles, and depression. Several factors are correlated with depression and dependency which states that “thoughts, emotions, and behavioral characteristics related to the need to communicate with and depend on others (Hirschfeld et al., 1977). The role attachment style and depression are investigated and it is hypothesized that insecure attachments strongly correlate with depression rather than securely attached individuals which do not.

An individual’s attachment style is conceived as a personality trait which is stable across the individual’s life span. Attachment is seen as a categorical model where individuals are either securely, avoidant or anxiously attached to others. Several studies have indicated how individuals treat attachment-related thoughts is related to their attachment style and governs how they cope with and express the loss of a loved one. When compared with secure and anxious attached adults, avoidant attachment style adults are less concerned with attachment to others. Anxious attachment style adults are worried about loss and will be hyper vigilant to relationship distress.

There is an abundance of research concerning attachment theory. This research ranges in age, environment, and time, place, can focus on one attachment style, and on certain situations. According to research from Fraley and Shaver (2000), attachment theorists have construed a variety of 3 functions that separate attachment relationships from other kinds of relationships. The first is that an attachment bond is marked by the tendency for a person to remain in close contact with the attachment figure, and when separated, typically experience some degree of distress. Secondly, the attachment figure is considered a “safe haven” when struck with illness, danger, or threat, and is seen as a protector or supporter. Third, an attachment figure promotes

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 has a huge impact on a person’s life. The number of studies in the area of attachment styles matches its importance on the development of the personality. Researchers suggest that attachment has direct

The fourth (Simpson, Collins, Tran & Haydon, 2007) is a longitudinal study that studied participant’s experiences during their periods of critical attachment processes from four different stages; infancy, elementary, adolescence and early adulthood (20-23 years old.) From these attachment experiences, they become characteristics of personality and social development. As with all the other studies, the results seem to go with the same manner; infants who are secure at the beginning of their lives end up being socially apt in elementary school, and have a secure relationship with friends in adolescence. Whereas infants who are insecure, stay with the trend as they grow up. (Simpson et al., 2007) These results stay with the core idea of the attachment theory (Bowlby, 1979.) This seems to be the only study that shows early

The psychosocial development of infants and children is a topic that has been studied by many. Per the Psychology textbook by Ciccarelli, personality and the formation of relationships begins with psychological and social development during infancy and childhood (p.328). Personality is shown through temperament, a child’s temperament in relation to their primary caregiver’s temperament will determine what style of attachment the child forms with the caregiver (p.330). Attachment is very important for infants and young children to form emotional bonds. There are four styles of attachment secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized-disoriented. Secure attachment is the most important style of attachment. Those with secure attachment have a developed sense of self that will carry through to adulthood, and lead to positively affected relationships.

The Chilean Doctor Alejandra Godoy, states that there are mainly four types of attachments. On the one hand, there is secure attachment which is positive, and on the other side, there are three different styles of insecure attachment; the anxious, the avoidant and the ambivalent. The attachment, specifically the anxious attachment, is an affective bond that is developed during the first years of life, but some people keep it up to adults, which I strongly believe that negatively affects their interpersonal relationships and their self-esteem. Relationships consume a huge part of the emotional energy to people with this type of attachment. In addition, it makes them easily upset.. When something does not turn out as expected, the symptoms of nervousness, anxiety and depression begin, so these people, who are victims of this strong bond, tend to suffer more in their relationships and in their personal lives.