Secure Attachment Theory Essay

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,

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.

Babies have a biological drive to form a connection with a primary caregiver, forming an attachment, which can take many forms. A fundamental part of healthy development is a secure attachment, characterized by love and attention from a caregiver. Attachment styles form the basis of subsequent internal working models, or mental construal of the self, others, and relationships based on one’s history of care. An infant with a history of positive experiences will form positive interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, insecurely attached children will not follow a normal course of development and exhibit negative behaviors in the social environment. These children display aggressive and inconsistent behavior. This is due to the child experiencing abusive and neglectful behavior from a caregiver, and forming a negative internal working model based on such experiences throughout development. Current research examines a link between attachment insecurity and later delinquency, particularly in the realm of sexual offense.

A child who did not have a close relationship with his or her caregiver or grew up with absent parents develops an insecure attachment. These attachment styles affect the rest of the individual’s life. Modern Attachment theory explains an integration of psychological and biological models of human

insecure attachments in the child`s development , and what bearings it has on the child`s emotional ,

Attachment is defined as a deep, affectionate, and enduring emotional bond that forms between two people, namely an infant and a caregiver. It is developed during the first years of an infant’s life and has four types depending on the quality of the attachment: secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised. It has been reported that approximately only 60 to 65 percent of children form secure attachment to their caregivers. Research indicates that the early attachment relationship is an essential foundation for later development. Insecurely attached infants are more likely to grow into aggressive, defiant and hyperactive individuals with lower academic skills compared to securely attached children, they are also more prone to psychiatric disorders and other problems. In contrast, individuals who form a secure attachment in their infancy are more resilient to depression, parental stress, family instability, and poverty compared to those who form an insecure attachment. Given the prevalence and consequences, it is important to educate parents on the impacts that attachment quality can have on a child’s development and later life.

Throughout the life span, attachment style is consistent; the theory of attachment, created by John Bowlby, describes attachment as “the lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (McLeod). Attachment style forms during childhood through early school years and accommodates for experience and the environment we immerse in (Feeney & Noller, 281). Through careful study, the three different attachment styles serve as a predictor for romantic adult relationships or attachment styles. The three different attachment styles include secure, avoidant, and anxious/ambivalent. A secure attachment is when comfort is found in relationships, and there is the ability to seek support from the partner. An avoidant attachment style is consistent with a greater sense of autonomy and emotional avoidance from the partner. An anxious/ambivalent attachment style fears rejection and desires strong closeness with the partner ("What’s Your Attachment Style?”).

Families are the first social interactions that infants and children have. Before Mary Ainsworth, a developmental psychologist, people underestimated the importance of a parents/caregivers role on a child’s development and how that development affected their future. Ainsworth conducted a research experiment in 1978 that questioned the types of attachment styles of infants. Between Ainsworth and her colleagues they identified three different patterns. The attachment styles are secure, anxious or ambivalent, and avoidant. Each specific attachment style demonstrates specific types of adult attachment styles. Depending on which one the child was exposed to depends on which adult attachment style they will likely endure. Adult attachment styles vary from infant attachment styles in that they fearful and dismissing, preoccupied, and secure.

Each individual has their own style of attachment, whether it is secure attachment, ambivalent attachment, avoidant attachment, or disorganized attachment. Attachment styles develop early on in life and seem to develop over time based on one’s experiences and interactions with other people. Some seem to have more secure attachments than others and some seem more shut off and insecure with their attachments. In a study conducted by Dr. Mary Ainsworth, called “Strange Situation”, attachment behaviors were explored, where Ainsworth measured the reactions of children when separated from their caregiver. This study showed the vast differences in reactions of children with different attachment styles (Firestone 2016). Different attachment styles seem to be a product of the environment the child was raised in, whether it was a loving, secure environment, or a dysfunctional, less nurturing environment.

Our earliest relationships in life can be deeply formative in shaping our development. Created by John Bowlby, attachment theory relates the importance of attachment in regards to personal development. According to Bowlby, attachment is the leading factor in our ability to form and maintain relationships as adults (Levy 2012, pg. 157). As human beings, we need to feel as if we belong (Cherry, 2016). We find this belongingness in our relationships and attachments. However, we differ in our ability to form such relationships. Some people may find creating relationships with people to be a fairly simple while others find relationships to be difficult or even anxiety producing. Though we each feel a need to belong, we differ in this ability. Some people struggle in relationships and other find anything relating to relationships to be simple. These differences in how we maintain and create relationships may be due to our early life experiences. Research on attachment theory suggests that our early-life relationships may be responsible, at least in part, for these differences in adult relationships (Fraley, 2010). Data proves that these different attachment styles have different effects on how an individual deals with relationships. Previous research has dialed in on different

According to research, over 50% of the population are secure attachment types (Mickelson, Kessler & Shaver, 1997). Attachment theory began in the 1950s, this is when Ainsworth & Bowlby (1991) independently found that the nature in which infants get their needs met by their parents will determine their “attachment strategy” throughout their lives Ainsworth, M. S., & Bowlby, J. (1991). You would think that being attached to something or in this case someone i.e. your parents is a bad thing, or a dependency thing, but in the case

Attachment patterns are hypothesized to persist across the life span through the reinforcing properties of internal working models (Bowlby 1973[pic]; Main, Kaplan, and Cassidy 1985[pic]). The first attachment relationship provides a template, a self-perpetuating schema that influences subsequent relationships. Mental representations from early attachment bonds thereby influence how individuals seek, anticipate, and interpret future interpersonal interactions (West and Sheldon-Keller 1994[pic]). Reflecting its roots, attachment theory also has emerged as a framework for understanding the relationship between adult children and their parents.

Intervention programs like ones at the New School, NY and the University of Delaware promote awareness of individuals’ attachment style and receive training to better balance vulnerability and autonomy in relationships (Murphy, 2017). Attachment-oriented psychotherapy could improve a myriad of relationships but also be used to improve an individual’s sense of security to enhance their ability to form relationships. Ultimately, it is important to recognize the importance of infant attachments in future relationships in life. John Bowlby’s attachment theory is evidently supported by behavior patterns exhibited as adults which rely on previous relationship

Already since the 1960’s, medical research has shown the importance of the early bonds created by parents and their children. These theories on attachment have demonstrated the effect of attachment with social and emotional development and its direct relationship with future behavioral issues. Numerous studies have shown the existing links between early security and insecurity in the early relationships formed by the child, and future outcomes in his teenage and adult behaviors. Nonetheless, most of these studies have not considered the effects of early attachment between the child and the individual parent. That is, there are very few studies which have concentrated their research in the mother-child interaction, and father-child interaction. Still, these studies have shown that children’s attachment at an early age demonstrate good emotional health (as related to attachment to the mother), and behavior regulation (when considering attachment to the father). Generally though, the final results have been similar to those shown when the studies considered attachment to both parents.

Whether you grew up with organized or disorganized attachment, every type effects how you handle relationships as an adult. Rising studies show that connection early on has a sufficient role in adulthood bonds (Morris & Weiss, 1982). The process of studying infant to adult attachment was mainly started by two men named Hazan and Shaver in 1987. Shaver and Hazen (1988) connected their theory to past establishments of how we love. They also gave sufficient support for the three different attachment types. Positive characteristics in relationships correlate to secure attachment; Couples who show less intimacy and happiness tend to be involved in avoidant attachment; anxious-ambivalent attachment correlates to couples who show no satisfaction, except intimacy. (Feeney & Noller, 1990). Thanks to all the data and studies collects