Introduction
Research conducted since the 1960’s on attachment and behavioral problems with children in regards to security have been mainly focused on mother-child relationships. Early on research primarily left out father-child relationships in regards to attachment, behavior and security. The combination of mother-child and father-child implications as dual effects upon children in previous research is rare. The research represented here links early children’s attachment security as it relates to future behavioral problems in both singular and dual roles.
Method
Participants from two-parent families were used in this study. Normally developing infants from volunteers represented a broad demographic range. Of the mothers (a.) 25% had attended high school (b.) 54% had an associates or other college degree (c.) 21% had a postgraduate education. Note: correspondingly for fathers (a.) 30% (b.) 51% (c.) 20%. Family incomes varied between $20,000 and $60,000 annually. Among the participants, mother’s ethnicity was 90% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander and 3% non-White. For fathers: 84% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Asian and 2% non-White. Note: In 20% of all families one or both of the parents were non-White.
Assessments focused on children at
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However, the position being mother or father, as primary or moderator, showed parallel results in the outcome. In other words, one secure relationship in infancy may be sufficient in buffering behavioral problems in a child. The research conducted did have its limitations in ethnic diversity and in the modest size of the group studied. By the convergence of multiple attachment relationships, along with culture, that has changed dramatically; this study was successful, informative and answered the researcher’s
The importance of a healthy attachment in early childhood development can lead to a better adult development and skills for daily life. A secure and healthy attachment to the caregiver in infancy to adolescence showcases the importance of building strong relationships and coping skills during periods of stress and anxiety. The research that has been found, goes into detail about the different types of attachments that infants and children can develop as well as what negative and positive aspects come along with the attachments.
It also involves social context and behavior. At around 12 months the Attachment relationships are by insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant types. Disorganized attachment is where the parent seems to be disconnected and dissociated with the infant. Parenting style and behavior tend to interfere with the children’s formation of attachment. Parental intrusiveness is a no contingent, verbal directives or physical behaviors in parents that constrain the children’s activities and behavior. In this study parents believed that discipline and control and child temperament had no significant correlation now were they correlated with attachment disorganization. Child gender did significantly show a higher disorganization for boys than girls negative intrusive parenting at age 6 months, parental belief in discipline and control at age 6 months, and child difficult temperament at age 6 months. Overall, Negative intrusive parenting did have an impact on attachment disorganization and children temperament. Negative intrusive parenting style can lead to provoke fear in young children which then reflects to the children being disorganized attachment as early as 6 months. Parenting style has a large effect on the child’s attachment and temperament as they grow older. Parenting strong belief in discipline and control could lead to a long term consolidate and stabilize negative
Contrast to secure attachment, these masters of early childhood assented that insecure attachment is when the primary caring adults do not respond appropriately to their infants’ actions, are not consistent with their patterns of affections, and safe and secure based bonding. In regards to insecure attachment, they based their research on Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation. They corresponded that cultural insecure attachment influences on infants’ development may have rick factors that affect infants’ behaviors, and their ability to learn in the future (Berns, 2013; Gonzales-Mena & Eyer, 2015; Gordon & Browne, 2013; Tanyel, 2012). According to (Berns, 2013), she stated that infants with
2. The secure attachment will provide a railing guidance on how the child will act in the future and how will be the relationship between the child and the parent. Sometimes parents don’t realize how significant their attachment to the child is. Children who didn’t have a secure attachment with their parents tend to feel “anxious and have tantrums when present with problem”(Brooks, p.86) because they are missing the sense of security and protection that secure attachment bring to the infant.
Secure attachment is a theory viewed by most as an important part of an individual development with an emphasis on early childhood. Most individuals would say that secure attachment is indeed very important for early childhood development and should be emphasized to help them grow in a secure environment which may promote self confidence and emotional stability during adulthood. Bowlby’s theory of attachment was developed to explain how children needed secure attachment during early childhood, after observing children suffering from emotional instability because they were separated from their parents’ security and protection as opposed to those children who were raised in a secure and comfortable environment. Later
Securely attached infants have a good quality of relationship with their parents. In the strange situation, where parents leave their child alone or with a stranger in a room full of toys, these children are upset when their parents leave, but easily comforted when they return. The child uses the parent as a “secure base” from which to explore the environment. In the strange situation, insecure/resistant infants
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.
As explained by Bowlby (2008), the quality of the attachment relationship between a parent and child is a crucial determinant in development. The quality of parental sensitivity in repeated interactions and daily occurrences permits the child to set expectations regarding the behavior of their primary caregiver in times of duress (Kerns & Brumariu, 2014). Consequently, a child’s social and emotional development is ultimately affected by the type of parent-child attachment experienced early in life. The research revealed that secure attachment formed between the parent and child predicts ideal behavior (Kochanska & Kim, 2013). However, the formation of insecure attachment styles significantly increase potential risks for challenging behavior regarding social and emotional
In American culture, there is a strong importance placed on the primacy of early experience. Researchers state that during the critical period, zero to two, a child becomes either securely or insecurely attached based on maternal sensitivity, which therefore predicts long-term adverse behavioral outcomes. This analysis sets up and evaluates the attachment risk model.
SECURE ATTACHMENT - According to psychologytoday.com “about 55% of people emerge from childhood with secure attachment styles” which makes it the largest attachment group . When a child has secure attachment the parent is a form of security. When the parent is away from the child may seem distressed. But when the parent returns they will sometimes seek affection or simply seem happier. Consistently catering to a child's needs, sensing their emotions and providing supportive response to their needs can lead to this attachment style.
In order for children to thrive, infants need to experience healthy nurturing relationships with their mother or caregiver. Nevertheless, without a mother infant attachment bond the growth and development of personality would be non-existent to the infant or child. For the explanation if attachment, family factors do play an imperative role for positive development in a mother infant attachment bond. Studies show that an individual who has a healthy relationship with parent s will have a positive or nurturing relationship with their peers (Richters & Walters, 1991). Individuals who are alienated growing up are more prone to the development of eating disorders or self-harm behaviors that had negative experiences growing up in a house hold with conflicts, or the lack of socialization skills (Richters & Walters, 1992).
Childhood trauma of mother. The internal model of attachment in the birth mother as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview is correlated with the identified security of attachment in the infant (Main, Kaplan, Cassidy, 1985; Posada, Waters, Crowell, & Lay, 1995; van IJzendoorn, 1995). Issues of unresolved loss and trauma, that are translated into frightened or frightening parental behavior in the caregiver-infant dyad, are of most concern (Carlson, 1998; Main & Hesse, 1990; van IJzendoorn, Schuengel, & Bakersman, 1999). These tend to lead to disoriented and/or disorganized attachment. Contextual and environmental factors. The caregiving system established by the dyadic relationship is affected by other demands on the caregiver (Solomon
Secure attachment give children a range of developmental advantages including safety, emotional security, adaptive behaviours and mediation of stress, and assists to give children a feeling of security (Shapiro, 2010). This stimulates adaptive development throughout our childhood (Davies, 2011).
I strongly believe that a secure mother-child relationship is highly important in the later development of a person. The influence that a mother has on her child can later lead to important aspects needed for life; these may include behavioural/social skills, cognitive abilities, emotion and even on the personality of the child. Not only can a good relationship help nurture these positive characteristics but also prevent later difficulties in life such as trauma. There are two types of attachment that can be categorised as secure attachment and insecure attachment. Within insecure attachment there are three main sub categories which I will talk about later. Recent research has shown that new born babies have a far more superior ability to understand their environment than was previously believed. In the child’s environment he or she will be in contact with many individuals, however, it has been shown that the mother-child relationship is the most influential. A quote from Shonkoff and Phillips, “early development entails the gradual transition from extreme dependence on others to manage the world for us to acquiring the competencies needed to manage the world for oneself”
Providing loving care and security for children is considered an important aspect of development. Secure bonds are created through interaction with the child and build trust through close, loving relationship between the caregiver or caregivers involved the life of a child. Babies form emotional ties to those who provide them with a feeling of safety and are a constant in the child’s life, making themselves familiar to the infant. Since infants are nonverbal, it is important for the parent to be interactive with their child, smiling, laughing, touching, holding tightly, playing, feeding, hugging and provide essential care in response to the infant’s cues. The type attachments vary in the relationship to those familiar to them and