Evaluation of Research Into Factors that Influence the Development of Attachments in Humans During First Year of Life

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Evaluation of Research Into Factors that Influence the Development of Attachments in Humans During First Year of Life Attachment is a mutual and instance emotional relationship between an infant and its caregiver(s). Attachment aids many key functions for the survival of the child as it ensures closeness of the caregiver ensuring safety. Attachments provide a emotionally secure base from which promote self development. Attachments also act as a model for later emotional relationships. The Behaviourists theory states that hunger and pain are all biological drives which motivate an infant. An infant is attached to those who reinforce their social signals and who provide pleasant experiences, the caregiver acts as a conditional reinforce. The Psychodynamic approach believes that an infant is born with innate drives towards sensory, and love has its origins in attachments. Bowlblys theory of material deprivation suggested that emotional care was at least as important as food and physical contact. The lack of attachments leads to maternal deprivation, he suggests that there is a critical period up to the age of two, during which the child must form attachments. The Behaviourists theory predicts that the person who spends the most time with an infant should become the attachment figure. Shafffer and Emerson conducted a longititual and detailed study of 60 infants and found that 39% of these cases the person who usually fed, bathed and changed the child was not the primary attachment object. Fox studied the infants raised in an Israel Kibbutzim, their behaviour was observed in the strange situation with their mothers and nurses. The childr... ... middle of paper ... ...s that the claims about bonding fail to act explain the complexing and changing nature of human relationships. Adoption - most adoptions take place early before bonding begins. All adoptive kids children probably experience some sense of loss (deprivation) but Singer found that in adoptive children attachments were equally high as non-adoptive kids. Attachment disorder is an recognised syndrome in the USA with symptoms such as being unable to form relationships showing little emotion and engine in very aggressive and controlling behaviour. Children with this disorder have invariably been adopted after six months , subsequently experiences multiple foster homes or care institutions. This means that they have little or as none experiences of attachments. When offered a change to develop a relationship it comes to late.

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