The Effects Of Secure And Insecure Attachments On Intellectual, Emotional And Social Child Developmental

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

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)

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment involved a mother a child and a stranger. The experiment show that when the child was attached to the mother she was the only one who could comfort the child. The stranger could not comfort the child and when the child was left alone with out the mother the child would be upset. Ainsworth’s experiment showed that there are three types of attachment styles secure attachment, ambivalent attachment, and avoidant attachment. The child with secure attachment was very upset when the mother left and was not comforted by the stranger. Once the mother came back the child was okay and began to play again. Children with this type of attachment do this with their attachment figure because they know that the

This essay is looking at the similarities of two researchers into attachment. The aim is to present their work so as to compare and contrast the different approaches and techniques used by both Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth. Even though they both had their different techniques in carrying out their experiments, the conclusion of their findings was very similar and this essay will be showing these findings by contrast. Both psychologists wanted to find out the underlying mechanics of attachment of mothers and their young.

Mary Main was Ainssowrth student. She therefore introduced another fourth category of attachment styles with her attachment studies with adults. During her longitudinal research project alongside her colleague Goldwyn on middle class children’s attachment styles, they found that about 79% of the time attachment styles remained constant from 18 months to 6 years of age (in Brandell & Ringel, 2007,). However in their observations about 5%) that did not fit into Ainsworth’s classification of attachment styles, which they called ‘disorganized/disoriented attachment’ (Main & Solomon, 1986, 1990). These children were fearful and engaged in repetitive or aggressive behaviors. Their behaviors at reunion were unpredictable. They displayed

A mother and child’s bond is one of the most precious things ever, but have you ever wondered why? Most importantly, how does the attachment between a mother and child affect the development of the child? This paper will depict the main ideas of attachment as it is theorized by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth and it will further show how their theories relate to the theory of Erik Erikson. I will also share my personal experience of attachment and how I can use these theory aspects in my professional career.

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

Bowlby noted that the securely attached child with positive expectations for self and others is more likely to approach the world with strength and confidence. Child who is well attached to one carer can more easily develop attachment to others. (Fahlberg, 1994:14) states that there are many positive effects on strong attachment for children, these

Having a secure bond of attachment to another person is regarded as a foundation for successful social and emotional development. “It has been observed that children with secure attachments are more socially competent than those with insecure attachment” (Neaum. S. 2010). By the child having formed secured relationships it enables them to engage with the world with a sense of confidence and self-esteem. children who have secure attachments are also known to show more co-operative behaviour.

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

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

Mary Ainsworth performed the Strange Situation Experiment which held different situations with children involving the parent, child and stranger (McLeod 2008). Based on how the child reacted with the stranger with the room when the mother was there, when the mother left, when the both the stranger and mother left and how the child reacted when they were reunited led to the classifications of attachment

Mary S. Ainsworth was fascinated in the association between infants and their mothers that she later coined the theory of infant-mother attachment. According to Ainsworth, there are three evident attachment patterns that will develop, secure, anxious and avoidant infants. Ainsworth felt it was substantially necessary for a child to transition out from a mother’s attachment and vulnerability to autonomy and independence as a factor in normal development in personality. One of the key points of Ainsworth security theory is that infants need to “develop a sense of direction and secure dependence on parents” before leaving the nest into a strange and unfamiliar situation (Bretherton, 1992). According to Ainsworth, “Familial security in the

Secure attachment can support the child in developing and reaching their milestones in terms of their positive behaviour adjustment to adulthood, emotional, cognitive and biological development. (Granot and Mayseless, 2001).This can be difficult for mothers if there experiencing symptoms of PND which in turns leads to insecure attachments. Insecure attachment can lead to biochemical consequences in the developing brain and also social and emotional problems for the child (Levy and Orlans, 2014). Lack of love and security due to high level stress hormone can result in babies having impaired of body and brain (Van der Kolk, 2003). This highlights the importance role attachment plays in childhood development.

Ainsworth & Bell (1970) explains the relationship between a mother and a child, in regards to attachment and exploration. The article discusses the child’s attachment behavior during separation and reunion of the mother. Ainsworth & Bell (1970) research exemplifies the idea of nurture being the primary reason for some characteristics of attachment to lead into adulthood. Ainsworth & Bell (1970) believe that attachment to the mother increases explanatory behavior and separation causes insecurities towards the mother. This theory, nonetheless, has several impediments. While attachment behavior to the mother is crucial for the relationship among the infant and the mother, this is not the only relationship that is established among infants. Relationships with close family members and fathers need to be considered. White middle class families were used during the experiment, while the middle class is known to have a healthier lifestyle then lowercase families. Ainsworth & Bell (l970) lack to show variation among infants that grew up in a bad environment that could potentially play a factor among infant and mother attachmment. Ainsworth & Bell (1970) research is in nurture during early child development context; however the environment and connections made with people throughout a child’s life also shape attachment characteristics among children.