There are four types of attachment styles. These four types are secure attachment, avoidant attachment, ambivalent attachment, and anxious attachment. Each of these attachment styles has its own effect on a child’s relationship. Secure attachment is when a child is confident enough to play in an unfamiliar environment as long as the child’s caregiver is present. Avoidant attachment is when a child is somewhat willing to explore an unfamiliar environment, but does not look at the caregiver leave or return. Ambivalent attachment is when a child is unwilling to explore an unfamiliar environment, but seems to have mixed feelings about the caregiver. The child would cry when the caregiver leaves, but cannot be consoled by the caregiver upon arrival. …show more content…
In their own home the child would cling to the caregiver and become in distress. In an unfamiliar environment the child would monitor the caregiver’s whereabouts closely, but would not disrupt the caregiver’s interaction with the baby. Terri and Ablard (1989, as cited by Volling et al., 2014) observed that insecurely attached infants cried and protested more to the mother’s interactions. It was recently found that “insecure-resistant infants stayed in proximity to their mothers longer during a jealously-inducing doll paradigm than secure or insecure avoidant infants (Volling, Yu, Gonzalez, Kennedy, Rosenberg, and Oh, 2014). With the understanding of these different attachment styles it represented how different attachment styles reacted towards their baby siblings and caregiver. For example, if a parent no longer rocks the firstborn to sleep but does for the baby sibling the child would react with crying due to the child being no longer rocked to sleep. Now let’s say when the child cries to the caregiver and ends up being rocked to sleep with no problem it shows how secure the child is attached. If the child still would not be able to be consoled by the caregiver the child would be insecurely attached. So each attachment has its own behavior towards each
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 right help, this child may harbor these ill feelings for life.
The theory of attachment was developed by John Browbly, a British psychologist who demonstrated that infants are born with preprogrammed to bond with their significant person, a primary caregiver. Once the infant develops the emotional attachment with caregiver, infant will consider them as the secure base where they feel protected and se...
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...
In secure attachment the child is very engages with others when the mother is around but when the mother leaves the child alone with a stranger they become mad. During insecure avoidant the child is scared of the stranger while the mother is there. Lastly, insecure ambivalent is when the child has mixed feelings when the mother is present or not. There is also a fourth type known as disorganized/disorientated but it was founded by Main and Solomon in 1990 (McLeod 2008). This attachment is when the child is distressed when the mother leaves and is happy when she
Through the well-studied idea of maternal-infant attachment there has been important insight into a child’s development. Mary Ainsworth found through her “Strange Situation” experiment that there are three distinct types of attachment that infants form; anxious avoidant, secure, and anxious resistant (O’Gorman, 2013). Later a fourth attachment style known as, disorganized attachment, was identified (CITE). Secure attachment is linked to maternal sensitivity just as insecure attachment is linked to maternal rejection or unpredictable maternal response to an infant’s desires and needs (Kinsvatter, Desmond, Yanikoski, & Stahl, 2013). Infants are “at risk” of developing an insecure attachment to their mother when they are placed in alternative care before nine months of age (Stifter, Coulehan, & Fish, 1993). This is concerning in that we see there are negative effec...
Relationships serve as the communication channels that bond family members together. Attachment theory presents a way of recognizing and assessing the quality of relationships between family members (Landers et al, 2013). John Bowlby (1988) established attachment theory through the study of mammals and humans. He proposed that infants develop their initial relationship with their mother but not always. In addition, he suggested that this relationship serves as the foundation for all subsequent relationships throughout life. This initial relationship creates a subsystem within the family system. The mother’s responsiveness to the infant establishes the quality of attachment the infant will develop (Landers et al, 2013). In most cases, when an infant experiences their mother or primary caretaker as nurturing and responsive, the infant will develop a secure attachment. However, when the infant experiences a primary caretaker as unresponsive or inattentive, an insecure
There is much debate surrounding the subject of infant attachment styles and the resounding effect they have on adult relationships. Attachment theory highlights the influence of early experience on shaping children’s conceptualization of responsiveness and trustworthiness of a significant other (Frayley, Roisman Booth-LaForce, Owen & Holland, 2013). The theory also suggests that an individual that is cared for consistently and responsively will assume that others will be supportive and available when necessary (Ainsworth Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978). This assumption is influential of the way individuals control attachment behaviour and can consequently effect social development and interpersonal relations (Frayley et al., 2013). A prevalent
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 bond between child and a caregiver is based on the child's need for safety, security and protection, which is paramount in infancy and childhood (Bretherton, 1992). One’s ability to form emotional bonds in early stages of infant development is the fundamental component of emotional development and predictor of later interpersonal functioning (Hutchinson, 2013). John Bowlby, who initially began his study on attachment by observing animals, proposed that children attach to caregivers instinctively. Evolutionary speaking, those who are able to remain close and attached to their caregivers were more likely to survive through to the reproductive stages and develop healthy attachments in their adult hood (Fraley, 2004; Hutchinson, 2013). He concluded that the infant initiates the bonding sequence but it is the mother’s behaviors which strengthens their bonding (Hutchinson, 32013). Mary Ainsworth was Bowlby’s most famous collaborator in regards to explaining human attachment and conducted experiments that demonstrated that affectional bonds between infants and caregivers are persistent and not transitory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall 1978).
The child feels more desire to explore when the caregiver is around, and he or she is discontented when the caretaker goes away. This pattern of attachment is characterized by high discriminative aspects where the child highly sensitive to the presence of strangers (Newton, 2008). A child becomes happy where the caregiver is present and dull when the caregiver goes away. Secure attachment level and intensity is determined by the caregiver sensitivity to the needs of a child. Consistent response to a child needs by the caregiver or parents will create a relatively strong secure attachment pattern. Care and attention are the major determinants of secure attachment and a child who revives a lot of attention and care from his or her parent are much prone to develop secure attachment, and it is an indication that the parent is responsive to the child
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)
Early in a child 's life there is a tendency for bonding with an external body which in most instances the care provider. Attachment is, in a lot of ways, is a factor that is internally regulated and can be considered as the child 's level of strength of mind. As the child develops he is wholly dependent on the care giver for emotional support and soothing, slowly but surely build the capability to cope alone. Furthermore: “early development entails the gradual transition from extreme dependence on others to manage the world for us to acquiring the competencies needed to manage the world for oneself” (Shonkoff and Phillips,
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).
John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure, insecure/resistant, insecure/avoidant and disorganized/disoriented, later leading to research studies done to observe this behavior and how it affects a child in their adolescence and adulthood.
During the first few stages of both theories, we see challenges in the development of the child and we also see challenges that a child might face during some, if not all forms of attachment theory. For example, a parent ignoring the child and speaking to them in a negative manner during insecure-avoidant attachment can be challenging for a child and lead to insecurities and the feeling of not being loved and/or wanted. Additionally, the theme of independence is seen throughout both theories and can also be related specifically to insecure-avoidant attachment where the child does not focus his or her attention on the parents but instead looks to the outside world for assistance. Both theories, as well as attachment theory, has an impact on childhood