The Importance Of Early Attachment Theory

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Does early attachment always impact the later relationship? Harry F. Harlow revealed the importance of early secure attachment for healthy affectional development in the macaque monkey experiment. Likewise, Lucy Scott Brown and John Wright reported the significant relationship between early secure attachment experiences and sound adolescent development in their research (15). Yet, Jeong Shin An and Teresa M. Cooney found insecurity and mistrust from the early insecure attachment experiences can be reworked and resolved (411) through altruistic activities and social bonding (418). In "Affectional Response in the Infant Monkey", Harry Harlow demonstrated the significance of affectional needs from caregivers to develop secure attachment and …show more content…

The John Bowlby 's 'internal working model ' (IWM) explained that the learned "expectations and attitudes about the behavior of attachment figures" are "generalized to predict the social world and organize responses to it" (Brown 18). Through the IWM, individuals are able to develop "the idea of reflective self" and "a theory of mind" (Brown 19) which guided their behaviors (Brown …show more content…

Cooney agreed that individuals "recalled positive, trusting relationships with parents in childhood" can have "more positive parental experiences with their adult offspring and better psychological well-being" (410). According to Erik Erikson 's theory of psychosocial development, the established of trust in others and the world from early childhood relationship would achieve generativity in later developmental stage (Jeong 410-411). There is evidence showing "a connection between childhood relationships with parents and adjustment in adulthood" (Jeong 411). Similar to Brown 's findings, Jeong noted that there is evidence showing "negative interactions with parents in childhood" links to "severe interpersonal hostility, depression, and other psychological disorders in adulthood"

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