The 's Attachment Theory Of Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, And Insomnia Essay

Bowlby’s attachment theory has greatly influenced practice. His theory of attachment explains the importance of having a figure that the child shares a strong bond with. Having an attachment can significantly support a child’s development as Barbara Woods suggests that “his theory of attachment proposed that attachment is innate in both infants and mothers, and that the formation of this attachment is crucial for the infants development” Wood, B (2001, p.53). Bowlby believed that forming an attachment will help a child develop in all areas e.g. emotionally, physical and mentally. However if they did not form an attachment in the sensitive period, the child may have issues or problems in their cognitive, emotional and social development.

Modern attachment theory, which has now shifted to a regulation theory, takes Bowlby’s original work on attachment and looks at how early experiences, such as prenatal stress, optimal/suboptimal stress, and the mother’s ability to regulate the child’s needs, help the child form an internalized working model for attachment style due to the brain being an “experience-dependent organ” (Cozolino, 2010c; J. Schore & A. Schore, 2012).

This essay will compare and contrast the work of psychologists Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth. To compare and contrast will be to emphasise the similarities and differences of both Harlow and Ainsworth’s work on understanding attachment, to which they have both made great contribution. Attachment refers to the mutually affectionate developing bond between a mother and any other caregiver (Custance 2010). It is a bond in which the infant sees the caregiver as a protective and security figure. Failing to form any type of attachment during the earliest years of childhood is thought to lead to social and emotional developmental issues that can carry on well into adult life (Custance 2010). Attachment theory was formulated by psychoanalyst

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)

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.

In order to determine an infant’s attachment type, Ainsworth established an experimental study known as, “Strange Situation” (Berger, 2014, p.144). This study was an experiment off of Bowlby’s findings that suggest attachment “related behaviors, are activated in times of personal distress” (Bernier, Larose, & Whipple, 2005, p. 172). Therefore, within this study, an infant’s attachment was determined by studying their behavior and level of distress within a new environment at the absence or presence of their caregiver. Additionally, Bernier represents the results of Larose and Boivin’s 1998 study that express a possible correlation between “Strange Situation” and the transition from high school to college (Bernier et al., 2005, p. 173) as both

Attachment is defined as the positive emotional bond that develops between a child and a particular individual. Of the four major patterns of attachment (secure, avoidant, ambivalent and disorganized-disoriented), I would consider Blair securely attached. Like other children who have a secure attachment pattern, Blair uses me, her mother, as a type of home base (Feldman, 2012). At 8 months Blair is cautious and shy in new situations. She has a typical fear of strangers but will eventually warm up somewhat to a new situation. Blair shows a strong preference for me over others. I am always talking and thinking about Blair. When my husband and I find time to go out, I find myself worrying and calling grandma to

The majority of developmental theories say that children must develop a secure primary attachment in order to develop in a healthy manner. A secure and strong attachment is clearly essential for healthy future relationships. John Bowlby’s studies in childhood development led him to the conclusion that a strong attachment to a caregiver provides a necessary sense of security and foundation. Without such a relationship in place, Bowlby found that a great deal of developmental energy is expended in the search for stability and security. In general, those without such attachments are fearful and are less willing to seek out and learn from new

Leading up to the hospitalization, Felicia experienced multiple stressors that all contributed to her condition. She experienced financial difficulties, which caused her a lot of stress and resulted in her attempt to, “take in people to help pay for rent”. Therefore, as an attempt to make her home presentable to potential renters, she stayed up for 36 hours cleaning and, during that time, had the illusion that there were bugs crawling in her skin, hair, and on her clothes. As a result, she threw away all of her clothes, bought new clothes, and called an exterminator to investigate the bugs, which she later found out was dirt. Other stress-related factors leading up to her episode included: menopause, long hours at work, and anxiety due to cleanliness. However, Felicia reported that finding out that her sister was diagnosed with invasive brain cancer, was “the final straw.” When asked to describe her symptoms during her episode, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being normal and 10 being out of control) Felicia

Attachment theory is a psychological model that provides an influential, biologically driven explanation of how the parent-child interaction emerges and how it influences human development over a life span. The term attachment refers to the complex set of related thought processes and behaviors towards a primary care giver. The attachment behaviors are biologically guided by our natural instinct for protection and safety. This evolved behavioral system organizes human motivation, emotions, cognition, and memory. The attachment relationship that an individual creates in infancy effects their growth, behavior in other relationships, risk taking, and mental health through their human development (George, 2014, p. 97). I chose to use attachment theory to understand Carla’s current situation because the theory has been powerful in understanding the range of relationships patterns that develop between mother and their infants and children. It has been shown that children who experience inadequate parenting are at a much higher risk for an insecure attachment style and experience more interpersonal difficulties in adulthood especially with relationships. Carla grew up in a very inconsistent environment her whole life. Using attachment theory I am analyzing how her childhood shaped who she is as a woman and the choices she made that ultimately brought her to where she is today.

Mary Ainsworth is known today as “The Mother of the Attachment Theory”, and it is by no fluke that she earned this title. In 1969, the British psychologist took on the studies of John Bowlby consisting of infant humans and their attachment styles towards their caregiver. While Bowlby already had his own theories, Ainsworth took his ideas and ran with them. She developed a study known as the “Strange Situation.” During this experiment, she took infants ranging from 12-24 months and categorized them according to their reaction to a stressful situation.

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

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 is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space (Bowlby, 1969). John Bowlby is a famous psychologist who is known for his interest in child development and for his pioneering work in coining the attachment theory alongside Mary Ainsworth. Bowlby and Ainsworth characterizes attachment by specific behaviors of children, such as needing to have that individual close to them when they are feeling upset or threatened. He further explains that attachment in adults towards children includes responding sensitively and appropriately to a child’s needs. Throughout the film, it is evident that Matilda and Miss Honey have a strong attachment to one another and how beneficial this attachment is to them both. As shown in the film, Miss Honey is an adult that Matilda can rely on and share her passions and interests. As Matilda’s parents continue to misunderstand and show a disinterest in her and her love of school, Miss

According to Susan Robbins (2011), attachment theory emphasizes the importance of the interaction between parent or other caregiver and the child. The child participates in the interaction, which results in emotional bonding. She argued that the basic principles of attachment theory state that a relationship exists between experience and being able to later bond with others, hence the importance of bonding. She also states that the behavior of the parent’s is complementary to attachment behavior. Successful attachment is dependent upon a secure base. Understanding a child’s attachment behavior and shaping their own behavior to unlay the child’s fears and anxiety and willingness to allow a child to explore which shows a respect for the child’s interest (Susan Robin, 2011). A secure attachment is necessary for healthy emotional development. It encourages exploration and the tolerance for separation without undue distress. Secure attachment fosters independence, mastery and a sense of self-regulation. It lets the child know she or he is worthy of receiving proper care and attention and develops a sense of self- worth and self- esteem ( Susan Robin, 2011). In Max’s case it seems like he did not have a successful attachment with his mother. According to the information provided, Max’s great Aunt, Agnes was the only one who tried to develop a secure attachment with Max. According to the information received, she was a very engaged caregiver, dressing, feeding, playing, singing,