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Thee important of attachment in child development
The development of infant-mother attachment
The development of infant-mother attachment
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Attachment plays a vital role in social development. When one becomes comfortable with another person, they then sense a feeling of attachment. Therefore, attachment can best be described as, “the positive emotional bond that develops between a child and a particular, special individual” (Feldman, 2014). Social development occurs at an early age and has an impact on allowing individuals to develop social relationships. The four attachment styles secure attachment, avoidant attachment, ambivalent attachment, and disorganized-disoriented attachment are not always universal, nor “biologically determined; they are susceptive to strong cultural influences” (Feldman, 2014). The process of social development during infancy is very decisive to the child. Early studies on attachment started with ethnologist Konrad Lorenz. To him, attachment was based on food and safety, which …show more content…
The Ainsworth Strange Situation is an “experimental technique used to classify children’s attachment styles” (Feldman, 2014). When a child reaches the age or one he or she starts to experience pm pf the four patterns. During secure attachment, parents remain a constant “caregiver” for their child. Securely attached children normally use the adult as a base, from which they become independent. When a child becomes self-contained, they are experiencing the avoidant attachment pattern. Children with this attachment pattern seem to have no distressed when the mother leaves or when she returns they tend to avoid her. A child with an ambivalent attachment style will show both “positive and negative reactions to their mothers” (Feldman, 2014). The child has mixed emotions towards their mother. They feel both distrustful and clingy to the mother. The final attachment style, disorganized-disoriented is a style of attachment where children are not attached to their mother. They are very confused and show unpredictable
Admittedly, many psychologists define attachment as an enduring, affectionate bond that one person forms between himself and another person throughout life. Mary Ainsworth provided the most famous research: strange situation, offering explanations of individual differences in attachment. However, in this Adult Attachment Style questionnaire that I took, I found many factors relevant to attachment as defined in the textbook. For example, in the textbook, it defines attachment based on Ainsworth research, the strange situation by observing attachment forms between mother and infants. They are described in four attachment styles: securely attached, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and insecure disorganized.
The general principle behind attachment theory is to describe and explain people’s stable patterns of relationships from birth to death. Because attachment is thought to have an evolutionary basis, these social relationships are formed in order to encourage social and cognitive development, and enable the child to grow up to ‘become socially confident’ in adulthood.
Infant attachment is the first relationship that occurs between infants and their mothers or other primary caregivers (Craig & Dunn, 2010). The mother-infant attachment begins at birth and is considered by a group of...
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
Children and adults with this attachment style often have high levels of self-reliance to avoid rejection, and lack visual emotion (Davies, 2011; Hepper & Carnelley, 2012). Children form this attachment style after experiencing constant rejection and anger from parents, and have no sense of security or safe-haven. In adulthood, avoidant attachment to partners or family correlates with negativity towards trust, respect and empathy (Hepper & Carnelley, 2012), and little desire for comfort or physical contact. Insecure ambivalent attachment is the next insecure style and consists of a need for attachment but lack of confidence in its availability from an attachment figure (Anderson & Alexander, 2005; Davies, 2011). Ambivalent attached children are often anxious and are fearful of exploration and social situations, and overly nervous of separation. In adulthood, this ambivalent attachment moulds into attachment anxiety, where one is constantly seeking reassurance and overreacts to negative feedback (Hepper & Carnelley, 2012). This causes issues in romantic relationships because one partner is unable to deal with feedback and prompts frustration and conflict in the other partner. Johnny, however, has an insecure disorganised attachment style, the third insecure style. This style correlates with anxious and untrusting behaviour and disoriented thoughts (Anderson & Alexander, 2005; Davies, 2011; Gowen & Nebrig, 2001). Johnny
Firstly, there is the secure attachment style. According to Feldman (2013), infants who exhibit this style in strange situation experiments were securely attached to their mother and feel comfortable around her. They occasionally explore the room but tend to return to their mother often and feel distressed in the absence of her. When she returns, the infants seek comfort and close bodily contact with her (Prior and Glaser, 2006). The next attachment style is the insecure-avoidant attachment. Insecure-avoidant infants explore more frequently than securely attached infants in strange situation experiments. Also, they tend to show minimal response when separated from their mother and even show avoidant behaviour towards her such as averting her gaze. When picked up, the infants are not clingy and do not resist release (ibid.). Moreover, there is the ambivalent attachment style where infants who exhibit this style display immediate distress and anxiety when separation from their mother occurs. However, they show ambivalent behaviour, meaning both contact-resisting and contact-seeking behaviour towards their mother when she returns (ibid.). For example, they might combine kicking and hitting while clinging on to her. Then, there is the disorganized attachment style. According to D. Shemmings and Y. Shemmings (2011), infants who acted strangely and oddly during strange situation experiments were categorized under this attachment style. Some of these infants would move towards their mother then suddenly stop moving for a few seconds. There were also infants in this category who would move towards their mother while holding their hands up in front of their faces as if they were shielding themselves from something (ibid.). These infants showed inconsistent behaviour which contradicts the behaviour of other infants
Psychologist, Mary Ainsworth expanded upon Bowlby's original work. She conducted a study labelled the ‘Strange Situation’. In the study, based upon the children’s reactions, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Work by Stroufe and Waters in 1977, further supported Ainsworth's attachment styles and have indicated that attachment styles also have an impact on behaviours later in life (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Researchers have found strengths in attachment patterns established early in life can lead to a number of outcomes. For example, children who are securely attached as infants tend to develop stronger self-esteem and better self-reliance as they grow older. These children also tend to be more independent, perform better in school, have successful social relationships, and experience less depression and anxiety (Birns, 1999, p. 13).
An infant’s initial contact with the world and their exploration of life is directly through the parent/ primary caregiver. As the child grows, learns, and develops, a certain attachment relationship forms between them and the principle adult present in this process. Moreover, this attachment holds huge implications concerning the child’s future relationships and social successes. Children trust that their parental figure will be there; as a result, children whom form proper attachments internalize an image of their world as stable, safe, and secure. These children will grow independent while at the same time maintaining a connection with their caregivers. (Day, 2006). However, when a child f...
Regarding the styles of attachment that Murphy explains are reasonably correct. As she also mentions the experiment, Strange situations directed by Ainsworth and Bowlby, in where real life infants and their caregivers participated to observe the behavior that children with different attachment styles choose to react with their parents and strangers. This article also provides clear and useful information to the general public. Whether it is their children or themselves it could be important to identify what could be causing one’s behavior as explained by Murphy in her article. It provides an option to what could be causing the behavior of children’s behavior to their parents on why they seem to be distant from their parents or others around them. It is also helpful to the general public to be able to identify the type of attachment they might have. Overall, this article gives enough information about what is the attachment theory and what is consists
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 John Bowlby with the theory of ‘cupboard love’ (affection that is given purely to gain a reward) (Custance 2010). There are differing theories on why and how infants form attachments but this essay will concentrate on the theories of Harlow and Ainsworth.
In the Strange Situation 12 to 18 month olds undergo multiple phases to determine their attachment style (Ainsworth et al., 1978). The infant is placed in a novel environment where multiple stages take place including: the infant and caregiver interacting, introduction of a new individual, caregiver leaving and stranger attempting to comfort the child and finally the mother returning and the stranger leaving (Ainsworth et al., 1978). In another trial the mother leaves again and the stranger returns and tries to interact with the child then the mother returns for the final time (Ainsworth et al., 1978). The reunion between the mother and infant and the way the child reacts determines the type of attachment the child has to the caregiver (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Secure infants represent that majority and use the caregiver as a secure base, seek them out when they are absent and are comforted when the caregiver returns (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Insecure-avoidant infants are not dependent upon the caregiver when navigating the environment, nor do they depend upon them when distressed (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Insecure-resistant infants will often act needy and dependable but reject the caregiver when they interact, they do not obtain security from the caregiver and consequently does not
Mary Ainsworth was a developmental psychologist who expanded on Bowlby work of the attachment theory. She created a study that is still relevant today called “The Strange Situation”. It was developed to better understand the different reactions children had when separated from their mother. She found that every interaction created a different response from the child. The way mothers responded to their child is the way children would interact to their mother.
In secure attachment, a child that went through separation showed the behavior of distress. In a stranger anxiety situation child avoided stranger, but was friendly when mother was present. The next situation was when the child was reunited with mother showed happy and positive behavior. Lastly, in another situation the child uses the mother as a safe place to explore the surroundings. An Ambivalent attachment child shows extreme distress when separated from mother. In stranger anxiety, the infant avoids the stranger and shows fear. When reunited the child approaches the mother, but doesn’t touch her. In another situation child cries and explores less than the 2 other attachment types. Lastly, Avoidant attachment child shows no sign of suffering when separated from the mother. The child shows no sign of fear near a stranger, environment remains the same, and the child continues playing. The child show very little interest in the mother; in another situation the child is equally comforted by a stranger and mother. From the research sample of children 70% showed to have secure attachment, 15% were ambivalent attachment, and 15% were avoidant attachment
The way that one develops intimacy with another person is influence by one’s attachment styles. There are three different attachment styles: secure, anxious/ambivalent and avoidant. Each of these attachment styles are shaped by an early emotional experiences. When a child has a warm, supportive, and responsive relationship with his or her parents, the ...
Ainsworth, M. D. S., & Bell, S. M. (1970). Attachment, exploration, and separation: Illustrated by the behavior of one-year-olds in a strange situation. Child Development, 41, 49-67.