Secure Attachment Essay

The three prototypes explored are avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, and secure attachments which describes how partners will behave in close relationships and how caring and supportive each individual is within their relationship. Avoidant attached individuals are withdrawn from relationships and untrustworthy of others. Anxious-Ambivalent individuals worry often about their partner’s needs being fulfilled as well as theirs and analyze if they’re moving too fast in the relationship when compared to their partner. Secured individuals are completely trustworthy of their partner and confident in their feelings and

Hazan and Shaver (1987) aimed to investigate whether they could classify the responders’ love relationships as secure, ambivalent, and avoidant, whether there was a correlation between the formed attachment pattern from childhood and attachment pattern during the love relationships, and whether there was a correlation between the distribution of childhood attachment patterns and adult love relationships’ attachment patterns.

One of the social work values is that the Attachment Theory supports the importance of human relationships. According to NASW (2017) relationships are an important tool that enhances client’s wellbeing. Social workers can use Attachment theory to understand the human need for intimacy as well as the need for a source of safety and comfort to provide emotional benefits and proper development. In this case, one of the client’s goals is to form a healthy intimate relationship with a significant other. As the client stated, “I’m tired of being in unhealthy relationships where I do not feel appreciated and I often feel used.” The clinician can use attachment theory to help the client achieve her goal by helping them understand their internal working model, which is related to insecure attachment. This will help the client create a positive image of herself and increase her self-confidence, and as a result, potentially develop healthy attachment with others (Blakely, 2015). Furthermore, according to Cassidy (2000), the Attachment theory explains how romantic love is similar to the attachment infants form with their caregivers since both relationships involves touching, gazing, and even baby

Thank you for your interesting post on the secure attachment style! I really enjoyed how you used a relationship between a brother and a sister to describe the style; I haven’t seen many others acknowledge this aspect and it made me contemplate the implications of attachment styles in all types of relationships. I also like how you embodied the secure attachment’s ability to seek and accept comfort and help in times of trouble in Elizabeth’s willingness to reach out to James. However, I would also like to point out that all people, regardless of attachment style, are worthy of receiving love, as you mentioned being a specific attribute of secure attachments. Secure attachments are unique only in the fact that they actually believe

The attachment style that an individual exhibits as an infant can affect their adult romantic relationships. An attachment pattern is established in early childhood attachments and continues to function as a working model for relationships in adulthood. This model of attachment influences how each of us reacts to our needs and how we go about getting them met. The ability to recognize one 's attachment can help someone to understand their strengths and vulnerabilities in a relationship.

Psychologist Phillip Shaver expanded upon Bowlby’s theory too and stated that the attachments formed in one’s infancy extend to adult romantic relationships (Feldman, 2011). According to Shaver, securely attached adults enter into romantic relationships confidently and happily. They also tend to be supportive and sensitive to their partner’s needs. Those who have avoidant attachment style tend to be less into relationships and feel lonelier. Ambivalent or anxiously attached adults tend to be too invested in their relationships, have low self-esteem, and often are intrusive rather then helpful when

The current literature review draws from a plethora of different sources that discuss attachment, and its implications toward future criminal behavior. Marshall, Hudson & Ward (1996) described the implications of secure or insecure attachment on future relationships, intimacy, and sexual deviancy. These researchers found a connection between insecure attachment, negative internal

They are not bothered by small issues. When a person has a secure attachment, they are capable of developing very trusting, and lasting relationships. They usually have good self-esteem also. They are comfortable sharing with their family and friends. Securely attached adults tend to have a good view of themselves, and their relationships with others. They feel comfortable balancing intimacy and independence, without any issues. This style of attachment usually results from a history of warm and responsive interactions with relationship partners. They often talk about experiencing more fulfilling relationships than people with other attachment styles. Being reliable and consistent, people who are secure may seem boring at first to those with other styles because there is little drama in their love lives, but secure people have a stabilizing effect on those with less secure styles and they report the highest level of satisfaction in their relationships.

From the start of childbirth, children depend on their parent(s) or caregiver(s) to take care of their needs in life (Rodrigue & Reeves, 2015). Four types of attachment to focus on are: secure attachment, insecure-resistant attachment, insecure-avoidant attachment, and insecure-disorganized attachment. Secure attachment refers to when the parent(s) or caregiver(s) are present in the child’s life. Children feel comfortable about being independent to an extent and will interact with new and familiar things on their own in the presence of their caregiver. Separation may cause distress, due to the dependence and attachment to the caregiver. Insecure-avoidant the child does not rely on the care giver for safety and will be precociously independent. They also do relatively well with the caregiver being non present and opened to interacting with strangers. Insecure-resistant attachment the caregiver has the child more focused on their presence and will avoid new experiences even if the caregiver is present. If separation occurs, they become distress and do not cope well even after their return. Finally, insecure-disorganized attachment children show more disoriented or strange behaviors. They will wander with no purpose and show engagement in any activity while being distressed and confused about what they should do or how to interact with or around the

Three predominant styles of attachment, secure, insecure-anxious and insecure-avoidant reflect expectations about the reliability and availability of attachment figures (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). Individuals who portray secure attachment styles tend to value relationships that provide trust, comfort, and availability. In contrast, individuals with insecure-avoidant or insecure-anxious styles of attachment have difficulty recognizing, acknowledging, and/or valuing secure-based relationships. Avoidant individuals experience discomfort when becoming close with others. In contrast, insecure-anxious individuals report relationships as a threat,

The mother is usually the first and primary object of attachment for an infant, but in many cultures, babies become just as attached to their fathers, siblings, and grandparents. When infants are attached to their caregivers, they gain a secure base from which babies can explore their environment and a haven of safety to return to when they are afraid. Attachment begins with physical touching and cuddling between infant and parent. Some babies become secure or insecure attached. Normal, healthy attachment will happen within a wide range of cultural, family, and individual variations in child-rearing customs. Studies of Strange Situation have distinguished secure from insecure attachment. Insecurity can take one of two forms: avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment.

People use sexual intimacy to fulfill their needs, such as love and closeness. These people tend to have an anxious attachment. People with secure attachments prefer to have sex in a committed relationship. They feel that this helps to establish a satisfying and intimate relationship between their partner and themselves (Birnbaum, 2010, p 247). Avoidant attached people do not associate sex and intimacy.

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.

The preoccupied attachment style is characterized by low fear of closeness and high fear of abandonment. Individuals classified as preoccupied have a negative model of themselves. Because preoccupies see themselves as unworthy of love and unsupportive, they tend to “strive for self-acceptance by gaining the acceptance of valued others” (Bartholomew, 227) and would do everything to keep people in their life; Preoccupied individuals try to avoid any kind of conflict in order to make themselves loveable and others happy. Despite the fact that preoccupies often see others as trustworthy and available, they also feel that others do not care about them as much as they care about others.

Those with insecure attachments tend to have lower relationship satisfaction compared to those who are securely attached. Those who have a secure attachment style provide a caregiving role, their behaviors are responsive and sensitive, non-controlling and show interest during interactions. Secures are affectionate with touch, enjoy physical contact (intimate & sexual) and are willing to ask for support. Individuals with an insecure anxious attachment are more self-focused and always looking for approval and support from their partner regardless of low and high stress situations. Anxious attachment individuals are also over caring and hyper vigilant. Lastly, individuals with an avoidant attachment value independence and have low levels of self-disclosure. Avoidant individuals are less likely to use touch to express affection and are uncomfortable with intimate sexual contact. In short, being aware of your attachment style and your partners can shed light on marital conflict and possible solutions and corrective behaviors to better marital