Disscussion on research associated with the development of secure and insecure attachments in children THE INTRODUCTION During the past fifty years much research has been carried out on the secure and insecure attachments for children. Many reaserchers have been particularly interested in the relationship between secure and insecure attachments in the child`s development , and what bearings it has on the child`s emotional , social and psychophysical well being ( Erikson, 1963; Bowlby, 1958; Ainsworth et.al, 1978). This essay atempts to look at some of the attachment theories and researches that have been proposed by some well known psychologists. THE THEME Attachment relationship is an emotional bond that is …show more content…
el, 1978). His ` attachment theory” is largely focused on the infant’s and their caregiver’s affectional ties and the development of such bonding as well as the cognitive structures involved in the later development of such ties and how they are maintained over time. In opposition to Sigmund Freud (Freud, 1939) who suggested that as long as the infant is fed by its caregiver it would naturally develop an affectional tie to his caregiver. Bowlby proposed a different approach to this by suggesting that infants have certain natural sets of behaviours that have derived over the course of human evolution, and thus it makes them seek certain levels of proximity to their caregiver. Naturally they need to stay close to the caregiver, thus feeling protected from the possible dangers that might arise which would give them a better chance of survival. He also suggested that these kinds of behaviours are genetically passed over from one generation to another. Attachment relationships develop gradually from the time of birth and for the first 2 years of the infant’s life. There are 4 developmental stages ( Aisworth et.al, 1978; Scafler, 1996 ). Stage 1 - first 2 month of an infant’s life when an infant doesn’t show much preference to any particular person. It is called “The pre-attachment” phase. The second phase runs from 2-7 month of age when an infant begins to know the difference
If the mother is not available for that special attachment then the infant could attach to a mother-substitute, this attachment relationship is the prototype for all future relationships. Forming this special attachment is believed to build up an internal working model or to help them template for their future relationships. The internal working model can be changed as the infant develops new types of relationships to others, contact and attachments with a variety of people can lead to a fully developed internal working model. The internal working model is the vital part of forming
The security of attachment in infants was investigated by Mary Ainsworth in the 'strange situation' study, in order to determine the nature of attachment behaviours and styles of attachment. In the ‘strange situation’, infants and their mothers were observed in a range of situations, which allowed the researcher to see the different types of behaviours shown.
Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)
Attachment is described as an "affectionate reciprocal relationship between an individual and another individual." Much psychological research has been carried out into the types of attachments that infants form with their caregivers, and the results gained from these studies show how early attachments can affect children whether positively or negatively.
John Bowlby’s work in attachment has been one of the foundational works when determining the level of attachments and bonds that a child and parent may experience (Webb, 2011). According to Bowlby, “attachment” is referring to a lasting, mutual bond of affection that is dependent on an individual or more than one person (Webb, 2011). Establishing a secure attachment during infancy and early childhood is an important task of a parent or a caregiver. Not all parents or caregivers can provide their child or children with a secure attachment at this important in life due to various reasons. Since parents are the main providers in their child’s development of attachment, their lives and history have a great influence on their children’s lives.
This essay will comprise, firstly, of past research looking into what attachment/ attachment theory is, focusing on Bowlby’s (1973) research into why an infant’s first attachment is so important. Followed, by the work of Ainsworth et al (1978) bringing to light the findings from the strange situation, and how the research can explain mental illness. From this and in-depth discussion looking at how the previously discussed pieces of research have an effect on two particular disorders, depression and anxiety; while keeping a holistic approach considering other variables within attachment theory which have been linked with the development of these disorders. Through-out, the implications of knowing about this potential link between attachment and mental health will also be discussed. Finally, a conclusion will be made to whether there is a strong link with attachment and mental illness.
Theories about the bond between the child, its primary caregiver and its impact on child development had been numerous over the 20th century, yet nothing of scientific foundations could be said with regard to child-parent relationships and its effects, be they positive or negative. This was until John Bowlby developed his theory about attachment and Mary Ainsworth developed a method for assessing infant attachment, the strange situation. The strange situation has influenced our understanding of the importance of attachment between a child and its primary caregiver by giving us perspective on how the type of care given up to the first 18 months can set a precedent on the
Bowlby’s work on attachment theory shows infants treated well develop a secure attachment. Hence they have a good foundation for healthy self-esteem, behavior, and future relationships (Barnet, Ganiban, & Cicchetti, 1991). If the infant develops an insecure bond with the caregiver, they may develop mental disturbances (Cicchetti, Ganiban, & Barnett, 1991). Mary Ainsworth, Bowlby’s contemporary, applied Bowlby’s theory in her research. In 1978, Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall, created the strange situation technique to study one year old infant attachments (as cited in Colonnesi et al., 2011, p.631). Results of their analysis led to three categories of attachment. They distinguished a secure (B), an insecure avoidant (A), and insecure ambivalent attachment (C)
The formation of secure attachments with the primary caregiver is thought to be of great significance by John Bowlby, who believed that the infant was completely reliant on the caregiver to care and provide for them (as cited in Psychology, Martin, Carlson & Buskist). Those children with sensitive caregivers would grow up to be more confident and developed in all aspects of life, for example forming relationships in later life. Those with unresponsive caregivers would see the world as unpredictable and unreliable. Nelson (1996) claimed that the bond between the primary caregiver and child is extremely important in how an infant sees the world around them (as cited in Attachment from infancy to childhood). Yet, attachments, in this case insecure ones, are not the only reason as to why we develop into the individuals we are. There are other causes that are unrelated to attachment that explain our later development.
Attachment serves the purpose of promoting closeness between infants with their adult caregivers who are responsible for comforting, nurturing and protecting them (Breidensteine, Bailey, Zeanah & Larrieu, 2011). Bowlby (1958) developed attachment theory to explain young children’s behaviours in ethological terms, positing that infants have developed an adaptive system directed towards their adult caregivers to elicit attention and care (Del Giudice, 2009). These biological driven behaviours, such as crying or clinging to a recognised and consistent caregiver
John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment suggests that the relationship between infant and primary caregiver acts as a prototype for the infant’s future relationships (Wright 2017). His theory claims that if the primary caregiver responds to the infant’s needs in a prompt and consistent manner, a secure attachment would be formed. This would lead to positive relationship expectations. Alexander’s primary caregivers were extremely attentive to his needs, allowing him to develop a secure attachment. Concomitant with this, was the belief that others could be trusted.
Attachment theory, according to Morelli and Rothbaum (2007), is the development of a child’s relationships with the self and others necessary for the psychological health of the individual. It refers to the meaningful connections an individual makes with people. The quality of attachment one has with others widely affects their development, especially during their childhood (Morelli & Rothbaum, 2007). Attachment theory mainly focuses on the infant-mother bond, as it is important that the attachment formed is secure for the infant’s well-being and development (Morelli & Rothbaum, 2007).
The concept of infant-mother attachment is as important to the child as the birth itself. The effect this relationship has on a child shall affect that child for its entire life. A secure attachment to the mother or a primary caregiver is imperative for a child’s development. Ainsworth’s study shows that a mother is responsive to her infant’s behavioral cues which will develop into a strong infant-mother attachment. This will result in a child who can easily, without stress, be separated from his mother and without any anxiety. Of course the study shows a child with a weak infant-mother relationship will lead to mistrust, anxiety, and will never really be that close with the mother. Without the
In this section, a summarization of attachment theory will be given; why attachment is important in healthy personality development; its survival component and its transgenerational effects.
Researchers have been looking at theories to show how important relationships are in people’s lives and attachment theory has allowed them to understand human behavior in a variety of ways. Feelings, such as anger and romantic love, can be directly correlated to the attachments received as a child.