The Attachment Theory Essay

This then led to his ‘Maternal Deprivation’ theory, investigated by Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999), which is when a relationship is broken or fails to be formed. It researched the effects of short term deprivation and how the child reacts to being left with a stranger in a room in an experiment to also split attachment into 3 different types; secure attachment, avoidant attachment and Ambivalent attachment. which suggests that “any conditions that threaten to separate mother and child activate instinctive attachment behaviours and feelings of insecurity and fear”, Collins et al (2012, p275)

Theory based strategies help carers of Looked after Children to facilitate and rebuild secure attachments when they are supporting and working with children in care, or if they move placements for example, into an adoptive or foster family. These strategies help the carers manage and understand challenging behaviour that is often caused as a consequence of an insecure attachment. Attachment can be defined as a long-lasting bond that is developed by infants towards their parents and is described as ‘a positive emotional link between two people – a link of affection’. (Lindon,1998,35,Cited in Crawford et al, 2005). Attachment disorders can impact on a child’s developmental wellbeing throughout childhood and into adolescence. Evaluating the attachment theory can show different ways these disorders affect the relationship of the child and carer.

One of the most important factors that affect child development is the relationship of the child with their primary caregiver. This is a tenet of developmental psychology known as attachment theory. John Bowlby, the creator of this theory, wanted to examine how early childhood experiences influence personality development. Attachment theory specifically examines infant’s reactions to being separated from their primary caregiver. Bowlby hypothesized that the differences in how children react to these situations demonstrates basic behavioral differences in infancy that will have consequences for later social and emotional development.

Attachment behaviour according to Mary Ainsworth (1985; Ainsworth and Bell, 1974; Ainsworth et al., 1978) forms the groundings for all potential associations and this develops up to two years after the child is born. She also harmonized with Bowlby on the view that the attachment bonding occurred within the age of two years old. Approximately when the child is seven months old they become wary of strangers and unknown surroundings. This continue until the child is about two years old. The procedure Ainsworth (1969) investigated to measure if a child was securely or insecurely attached was the ‘strange situation paradigm’. This entailed a sequence of short partings and reunions. The child’s parent and a stranger took part in the

This essay will examine key research of attachment theories, parenting styles and emotional needs of children and how parents and carers support that. Attachment theory is the basis of building relationships with your care givers and people around you. I will be describing how attachment theory relates with the emotional needs of the children and how parenting can influence this. Children either develop a secure or an unsecure attachment with their caregiver, either plays a huge part in their children’s emotional development. It needs to be explained throughout this essay what it is that parents and carers can do to provide secure attachments with our children, and support their children’s emotional needs.

Evaluating two theories that explain the development of the infant attachment to parents or surrogates. Ainsworth and Bell’s theory, based on Strange Situation Test (SST), and Bowlby’s monotropic theory will be evaluated and shall show their usefulness in psychological research.

For some it is a temporary glitch in their lives from which they quickly recover; others need support and intervention. Linking back to Gemma she is showing signs of being withdrawn which seeks support. Some children are more vulnerable than others as the capacity to be resilient in the face of adversity is thought to be rooted in the experience of early infancy. Attachment theory helps with understanding the implications of early experience in relation to later life outcomes, including learning. For example, Gemma is considered as being a witness of domestic violence which can have a negative emotional impact.

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,

comfort to be of more importance; it is hard to prove if this is the

· Pre Attachment Phase – from birth to 3 months. From 6 weeks the baby

Attachment is the long term emotional tie to a particular person; the aim is to have closeness especially in difficult circumstances. John Bowlby was the first, who make up this name, after having the learning connected to the developmental psychology of children from many credentials. This is the essential requisite for infants in their personality development. Babies require a protected base so that they can confidently trust on their primary caregiver. If tots get the secure attachment (connection of faith and beliefs), their development will be a healthy one, and if tots get the insecure attachment, their development will be unhealthy.

Do early emotional bonds affect later development? That is just one of the many questions investigated by psychologists interested in attachment. Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans. Also, refers to the close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their care givers. Researchers have shown a keen interest in how infant-mother attachments are formed early in life.

Attachment theory is suggested to have attachment patterns that are incorporated into a person’s personality and mental representation of oneself and others. It 's thought the people learned to develop attachments at infancy. These attachments are believed to parallel in the way people form bonds in adulthood. The researchers also state that attachments figures rank in a hierarchy order. The most important relationships on top to the less important. The hierarchy status can change over time and events that occur in life. The researcher by the name John Bowlby proposed that the person abused might develop stronger

In the first few months of life, the sole purpose of any child’s behaviour is to survive. This, more often than not, results in actions that reduce the risk of harm and increase the chances of longevity. Of these behaviours, some argue that the most influential is attachment behaviour. “Attachment behaviour is any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining or maintaining proximity to some other clearly identified individual who is conceived as better able to cope with the world”(Bowlby, 1982). Therefore, children will make an effort to stay close to and under the protection of their primary caregiver. According to Webster, “through interactions with their primary caregiver, the child develops expectations and understandings about the workings of relationships. These mental representations of relationships become internalized to the degree that they influence feelings, thought and behaviour automatically and unconsciously” (1999, p.6). Moreover, the response of the identified individual plays a huge role in the child’s perception of the outside world. If the caregiver responds to the child’s needs in a caring and protective manner, the child will feel safe and comfortable in his or her surroundings. If, on the other hand, the caregiver is often emotionally and/or physically unavailable, the child is likely to

The Attachment Theory is the one of the leading theories explaining the how attachment is