An investigation of theories of attachment and cross cultural child rearing practices. Child development is the changes that occur from birth,; physically, socially and cognitively. The moment an infant is born the environment, people and culture it surrounds itself with will influence the child and his/hers relationships. It provides a ‘firm foundation upon which all other relationships grow. The idea is that the success of all relationships is dependent upon the success of the first one, namely, of the bond between the infant and his mother or caregiver.’ (Brodie,2008) Attachment is defined as ‘the affectional bond that a person or animal form between itself and another.’ (Bowlby 1951.) Attachment is one of the vital factors in correct emotional, biological and psychological development in humans. The type of attachment that has been formed plays and important role in emotional development. Many influential theorists, such as, John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth and Jean Piaget among numerous others, have demonstrated this. Socialization refers to ‘the transmission from one generation to another of a society’s standards of beliefs and behavior. Socialization processes operate in helping to stimulate cognitive development – Vygotsky, Rogoff etc., have demonstrated how adult input helps to develop cognitive skills though scaffolding or guided participation. “ (Schaffer 1998) Societies will transfer their culture from one generation to another and this will begin from the moment a infant is born and they are placed in their first social group being their family. In this essay I will explore the different examinations, thoughts and feelings that have prompted our understanding of the connections significant to our understanding of ch... ... middle of paper ... ...rnal responses either when her infant was threatened or when the experiment took the baby away several times a day for artificial feeding.it would climb on it smothers back only to be brushed away by its mother as is she were brushing of a flies. When the baby persisted, the mother would crush the baby’s face or body down , to the floor of the cage with her hand or foot either looking at the infant or staring blankly into open space… (Harlow and Harlow, 1961.) The other three mothers themselves reared without a real mother were also quite inadequate as mothers in regard to their first offspring. This data, as well as a comparison of the offspring of normal monkeys mothers that have had one offspring, as suggested by Raymond and Harlow 1966 that “that human firstborns are not unique in having more than their share of problems.” (Raymond and Harlow, 1966)
During the twentieth century, Harry Harlow performed one of the most controversial experiments that led to a scientific breakthrough concerning the parent-child relationship. It paved the way for understanding terms such as secure, insecure, ambivalent, and disorganized relationships (Bernstein, 2014, 364). During the course of this study, Harlow separated baby monkeys from their birth mothers and isolated them in frightening environments. According to the video “H.H. Overview”, this proved the monkey’s preference for a comforting mother versus a nutritional one. However, this raises the question: can his experiments be deemed ethical, or did his scientific inquiry overstep boundaries?
"Primate Social Relationships: Adults and Infants." Primate Social Relationships: Adults and Infants. N.p., Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
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.
Criticisms of attachment theory have come mainly from the feminist schools of thought since the theory has been used to argue that no woman with a young child should work outside the home or spend time away from her baby (Goodsell and Meldrum, 2010). Children’s experience and development also depend on what happens after early years, whether bad or good later in life may change a child’s emotional development, e.g. lack of basic needs, diet, education, stimulation such as play might affect a child’s development (Rutter, 1981). Differences in cultures have to be taken into consideration as well. A study by Schaffer and Emmerson (1964) provided contradictory evidence for Bowlby’s attachment theory. They noted attachment was more prominent at eight months, and afterwards children became attached to more than one person.
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...
Kagan suggested that a serious limitation of attachment theory is its failure to recognize the profound influences of social class, gender, ethnicity, and culture on personality development (CITE: B-up-B article). The child’s temperament, added to specific life conditions, may well affect the caregiver’s attitudes, which in turn influence the quality of the child’s attachment (CITE – paper – behavioral problems). This supports that it’s not just the child’s attachment and ability to connect with their caregiver but also how the caregiver responds, their behavior towards the child and understanding the child’s needs. It’s the experience that a child has not only in their early stages of life but throughout many different developmental stages, that shapes their ability to become adapt and provide social competency in their
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)
Attachment theory is the idea that a child needs to form a close relationship with at least one primary caregiver. The theory proved that attachment is necessary to ensure successful social and emotional development in an infant. It is critical for this to occur in the child’s early infant years. However, failed to prove that this nurturing can only be given by a mother (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Many aspects of this theory grew out of psychoanalyst, John Bowlby’s research. There are several other factors that needed to be taken into account before the social worker reached a conclusion; such as issues surrounding poverty, social class and temperament. These factors, as well as an explanation of insecure attachment will be further explored in this paper.
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...
The mother to child bond has been interpreted to be instinctive to all mothers. Meira Weiss quotes
1.John Bowlby, a trained child psychiatrist maybe as well be considered as ‘father’ of attachment due to the nature of his contributions towards attachment. Bowlby (1980) asserted that human beings have an innate psychobiological system to seek security for from the moment of birth, human surviva. According to him this system motivates the humans to seek proximity to the people who will protect them in times of danger or threat. These people whom Bowbly refered to as ‘attachment figures’ are usually the mothers of the babies, however some other primary caregivers might become attachment figures as well. When an infant perceives threat, s/he searches for security and availability responsiveness of the attachment figure makes the infant feel secure and develop a secure attachment relationship with the caregiver. In the event the infant fails to achieve security and responsiveness from the caregiver, they feel insecure and develop insecure attachment and learn to cope with stress in her/his own way by organizing her/his behaviors (attachment behaviors) to increase the availability and responsiveness of the caregiver when needed.
Child development is an amazing thing to watch in the way that children interact with one another and how they perceive the world that surrounds. While doing our research of child development we began to observe a group of kids ranging the ages 1 – 12. During these observations we noticed traits such as attachment, comfort, and love. Through the following examples we will proceed to observe development in our environment and explain its relativity to the text
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
Attachment is an emotional bond that is from one person to another. The attachment theory is a psychological, an evolutionary and an ethological theory that is concerned with relationships between humans, specifically between mother and infant. A young infant has to develop a relationship with at least one of their primary caregivers for them to develop socially and emotionally. Social competence is the condition that possesses the social, emotional and intellectual skills and behaviours, the infant needs these to success as a member of society. Many studies have been focused on the Western society, but there are many arguments to whether or not this can be applicable to other cultures, such as the poorer countries.
This article was based on attachment and behavior. The article suggests that an infant’s relationship with their primary attachment figure can determine their behavior later on in life. Those who do not have a strong attachment with such a figure can have issues with behavior later on in life. These children may have various issues in school or might be considered the problem child. The researchers seem to believe a lack of attachment can result in behavioral issues in adulthood as well. Individuals were studied in many different environments such as their homes and in laboratory settings.