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The close emotional bond between two individuals is known as attachment. For example, the emotional bond between a mother and her child is known as an attachment. According to Bowlby (1969), attachments are biologically inclined to be formed between both infants and their primary caregivers. He disputes that every newborn is inclined to elicit attachment behaviour such as crying, clinginess, coos, and smiles. He also stresses the importance of attachment to a caregiver in the first year of their life, as it has positive influences throughout the life span. In his opinion, if an attachment formed is secure and positive, the individual will more likely develop optimistically in his or her childhood and adulthood. Conversely, an individual might not develop optimally if he or she has an attachment that is insecure and negative (Bowlby, 1969). Mary Ainsworth (1979) was interested to measure the quality of infant’s attachment experiences, hence, came up with the Strange Situation (SS). The infant goes through a series of introduction, separations, and reunions with the caregiver and an adult stranger in a prearranged order in the SS. Based on how the infants respond in the SS, they are classified into one of three categories: securely attached, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant (Santrock, 2010). The difference between a …show more content…
There are mainly 4 phases. In the first phase, infants instinctively direct their attachment to human figures such as siblings, parents, and strangers equally. In the second phase, attachment slowly becomes more focused on one figure, which is usually the primary caregiver. In the third phase, the infant develops specific attachments and actively seek contact with regular caregivers. Lastly, after two-years of age, the child starts to take into account of others’ feelings, goals and plans as they become more conscious when forming their own actions (Santrock,
I feel Bowlby’s theory of attachment is really important in relation to supporting children through transitions. I think this because during the time I have spent in placements I have seen children bound more with a certain practitioner this is more than often their key person. Bowlby believed that ‘early attachments was very important’ (Meggitt.C et al, 2011, p80) the first ever attachment will be made within the first few months of being born. This will normally be with a parent or guardian e.g. mother, grandad. When this attachment is formed the child knows that its basic need such as shelter, food, warmth etc. Bowlby felt that if the child and attachment is separated for a short while within the first few years of its life then it could produce long term and irreversible negative effects on the child’s social, emotional and cognitive development. If this is the case placing children in a day care setting would be damaging for the children. This is why it is good to have a key person so that when they are away from their first attachment they have another attachment to a practitioner in a setting.
The influence of Bowlby’s attachment theory is relevant when dealing with transitions because it has informed people and practitioners about the importance of attachment and the key worker system. Bowlby’s attachment theory evolved to ensure children are protected and for their survival to be increased. Bowlby believed that a child’s first attachment is built quite early on and is normally formed with the mother. This relationship between the mother and the baby is the template for relationships in the future. It provides the child with an internal working model. If the child’s first attachment doesn’t have a positive effect then this can result in the child finding it difficult to form other attachments with practitioners, family members and friends. If the first attachment is secure and strong the child will be able to build relationships with other people without having a problem. According to Bowlby the cognitive development of the child is affected when early attachment is formed because it provides a secure base for exploration. Although Bowlby’s theory has a lot of positive aspects other theorists have research that disagrees with his work. Schaffer & Emerson
The Strange Situation, in which infants are exposed to eight different episodes involving the mother and/or a stranger, is widely used to test attachments, although there are many different views regarding its validity and reliability. In order for the Strange Situation to be considered reliable, a child tested at different times should produce the same reaction every time; this was supported by Main, Kapland and Cassidy’s 1985 study which found that 100% of infants who had been securely attached before 18 months were still securely attached at 6 years, and 75% of those who had been anxious-avoidant remained so. One interpretation of attachment type (based on the Strange Situation) is that it is a fixed characteristic and therefore cannot be changed, but if there is a change in family circumstances this is often not the case. Attachments to mothers and fathers have been proven to be independent – Main and Weston (1981) found that children reacted differently depending on which parent they were with. This shows that the attachment types shown by the Strange Situation are based on qualities of distinct relationships as opposed to a child’s characteristics.
In conclusion to transitions, many people would believe and follow Bowlby's attachment theory as I believe that if children do not have strong positive relationships with their primary care giver from birth, then they will be unable to form relationships smoothly in the future. However, an alternative view to this is Bronfen Brenner's model that states that it is not just about the support and relationships a child or young person has from their family, it is a balance of nature and nurture and believed that the child is surrounded by four concentric circles which each represent a different factor that influences and the child. The first circles work from the inside out, the first is the 'Microsystem' which represents the child's immediate family and surroundings which would be the main support and relationships.
In this assignment I will be evaluating the Strange Situation Procedure and how useful it is to our understanding of attachment. Mary Ainsworth (Ainsworth and Bell, 1970), developed the Strange Situation Procedure after she spent some time on her first initial studies on attachment. The procedure is ‘a way of assessing attachment security in a laboratory setting. It consists of a standardised set of episodes involving a child, their mother and a stranger in a sequence of separations and reunions.’ (Cited in Investigating Psychology, pg. 217). To evaluate this procedure I will look at the usefulness and the limitations that it concedes of.
John Bowlby drew on ideas from animal studies, psychology and psychoanalysis to develop what is known as attachment theory. Babies and people who care for them usually form close bonds. As the baby is fed, held, enjoyed these emotional, loving relationships develop and deepen. Babies who find that adults who respond quickly to their cries become trusting of life and are securely attached in stable, warm relationships. They know that they will be fed, changed, comforted etc. Babies and parents who do not make close emotional bonds experience general difficulty in forming stable, warm and loving relationships.
Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The pioneers of Attachment Theory realized early on that human beings are not solely influenced by drives but that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers greatly impact their ability to forge lasting relationships later in life. John Bowlby was first to introduce this theory to the masses in the 1950’s, and later Mary Ainsworth conducted further research to expand on Bowlby’s theory which proclaims that attachment is a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). The attachment bond theory by both Bowlby and Ainsworth focuses on the significance of the relationship between babies and their caretakers which research has suggested is accountable for influencing impending interactions, firming or injuring our capabilities to concentrate, being aware of our emotional states, self-soothing capabilities, and the capacity to be resilient in the face of hardship. Additionally, this research has provided a framework for assisting in describing these att...
Attachment is an emotional bond between two people regardless of space and time. The father of the psychological theory of attachment, John Bowlby, once said,” Attachment is characterized by specific behavior in children, such as seeking proximity with the attachment figure when upset or threatened.” Although scientists believe a child's development depends on their parenthood, the theory of attachment explains how children are pre-exposed to form attachments.
The attachment style that a child endures with their mother initially begins before the child is even born. In the mother’s womb, the infant becomes aware of their mother and father’s voices, where they begin to develop a bond with them and feel nurtured and comforted by the things they hear their parents sing and speak to them. According to Bowlby, the development of attachment takes place in four different phases and are reinforced as they grow older from the Preattachment (birth to age 6 weeks), attachment-in-the-making (age 6 weeks to 8 months), clear cut attachment (between 8 months to 1 ½ years of age) and the reciprocal relationship (from 1 ½ or 2 and on). As the child grows older, then begin to understand their parent’s feelings and motives and are able to organize their efforts and reciprocate the same i...
Attachment theory states that a strong emotional and physical attachment or emotional bonding with at least one primary caregiver who is perceived as a source of security is critical to personal development of close, caring, and enduring relationships. Children who have not developed a secure attachment to their caregiver/parent are put at a great disadvantage for adulthood. Children unable to develop coping and social skills may never be able to properly attach to a partner, while secure attachment leads to a sense of being loved which results in safeguards against fear, insecurity, and inadequacy. Childhood insecurity or attachment difficulties lead to future intimate relationship problems; conversely, secure attachments lead to a positive
The attachment theory, presented by Mary Ainsworth in 1969 and emerged by John Bowlby suggests that the human infant has a need for a relationship with an adult caregiver, and without a subsequent, development can be negatively impacted (Hammonds 2012). Ainsworth proposes that the type of relationship and “attachment” an infant has with the caregiver, can impact the social development of the infant. As stated by Hammonds (2012), attachment between a mother and a child can have a great impact on the child 's future mental
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)
Bowlby 's attachment theory is used a lot in settings as children gain strong bonds with the teachers and key workers in the setting. Having a secure attachment in the setting can have a variety of positive or negative impacts on the child depending on how emotionally attached they are. A strength of the attachment theory is that by children gaining attachment with their key worker it can help the practitioner support the child and meet their needs in the setting. By a child having an attachment to their key worker it can help their development as they are more engaged with the staff. Again research has shown that the quality of a child’s learning and the development of resilience can depend on the quality of their relationships both with their
(Early infant attachment is an important phenomena to study as it is connected to later child development). Early infant attachment is linked to cognitive, social, and emotional development (Pallini, Baiocco, Schneider, Madigan, & Atkinson, 2014). These three developmental aspects are significant in one’s later mental process capabilities, the relationships formed later in life, as well as their psychological stability. The attachments formed with caregivers in infancy are vital. Bowlby stated, “It is our first relationship, usually with our mother, that much of our future well-being is determined” (O’Gorman, 2012). It’s crucial for a child’s development to look at parenting styles and early infant attachment classifications which are made to caregivers. Most research focuses around mother-infant attachment making little known about the relationships made with fathers.
“Attachment is as essential for the child’s psychological well-being as food is for physical health,” claimed Bowlby, B (2001, p.54). Bowlby claimed in this statement that attachment is a necessary thing that a child needs in order to develop healthily. There is evidence from other theorists who support Bowlby’s theory of attachment, such as Harlow, whose approach is based upon a caregiver’s sensitivity and attachment. Ainsworth is another theorist whose research supports Bowlby’s theory of attachment. In her strange situation study, she tested for the attachment types and what effects they had on a child’s behaviour.