...Attachment, in dictionary terms, means affection, fondness, or sympathy for someone or something. In psychotherapy, attachment theory refers to how those attachments impact human interpersonal relations. Attachment theory was first conceptualised by John Bowlby, a psychoanalyst who dedicated his time to studying the affectional bonds which form between a child and his primary caregiver. In Segal and Jaffe (2013), the affectional bond is simply but realistically defined as one's first love relationship. Bowlby referred to attachment as a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings. This bond is initially formed by the first attachment figure a person comes across in life. This is in most cases is the mother. In other situations, it may be a father, or where a child is orphaned or put in foster care, it could vary. It refers to anyone who remains in a central role in a child's life for at least the first three to five years. This period is crucial because it is when a child's brain rapidly develops. Bowlby (1984) says that attachment behaviour is most active and overt before the age of three but the need for attachment figures remains throughout life. Bretherton (1985) found that after three, it is less frequent and noticeable as the child gains increased abilities to protect itself and coping skills. Attachment behaviour is however more noticeable during times of exceptional stress. According to Segal and Jaffe (2013), an attachment bond shapes an infant's brain...
Words: 4759 - Pages: 20
...stuff of which attachment and, as we will see, love are made.” (Bolt, 2004, p. 26). I have found that few things in life are absolute, but the previous statement is one of those few. From the very beginning of our lives, our need for human contact and closeness is glaringly obvious. Our attachment styles, be they secure, avoidant, or anxious, are formed while we are just infants. These attachment styles tie directly into how we, as adults, execute the different dimensions of love (passion, intimacy, and commitment), in our various individual love relationships. Individual Attachment Styles “Both nature—the infant’s inherent need to bond and belong—and nurture—parental responsiveness—contribute to attachment.” (Bolt, 2004, p. 25). Recent research has been shown to indicate that temperament has a base in genetics and that it is not all left to nurturing, as was previously believed. Personally, I am glad that science has begun to discover what I always have suspected to be true! A parent can be warm and responsive, yet their child could still grow to have an anxious or avoidant attachment style, however the opposite is true as well. I have personal experience with this, which is why I am certain of its validity. Secure Attachment Style Our text describes the secure attachment style in the following manner: “Infants who experience warm, responsive parents show secure attachment.” (Bolt, 2004, p. 23). This is the most prevalent of the three attachment styles, with roughly...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
...Ainsworth was to test and study the attachment of a child with their parent. This is imperative to any reader because even if you're not planning on having children, everyone will eventually interact with one. This being said, the study not only observed the attachment of a child on their mother, but also the changes in their behavior around a stranger. As a parent, it would be beneficial to read and learn about the way a child might think and react around different people in different scenarios. As a student, it's beneficial to read about Ainsworth's studies to be able to psychologically understand how a child might react around different people. The research method used in Mary Ainsworth's...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...Abigail Graves Attachment Theory Paper The attachment theory is used to explain the relationships between humans. This was primarily developed by a psychoanalysis John Bowlby who raised the issue about maternal deprivation that developed into the attachment theory. It mainly focused on the idea that infants need to create a bound with their caregiver in order to develop emotionally and socially appropriately. It was not until recently that the theory was extended to attachment in adults. Through new research it was found that these early relationship can have a profound affect peer relationships at all ages, romantic and sexual attraction, and responses to the care needs of others as well. This is explained through case studies and applying the finding to the theories developed by Bowlby and Mary Main, defining the types of adult attachment and analyzing those to a personal style of attachment. With understanding the theories of attachment two psychologist decided to expand on the ideas that had been developed by others in their field. Kim Bartholomew and Leonard Horowitz’s expanded on the idea that was presented by Bowlby about how children internalize their attachment relationships with their parents, and internalize that for future relationships. They “…have only recently examined the relationship between working models of attachment and social and emotional adaptation in adults” (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 227, 1991). Meaning there is studies now that examine the way...
Words: 1916 - Pages: 8
...the clear-cut attachment phase, a toddler starts to become very familiar with their mother, or primary caregiver. This usually begins from the ages 18 months to two years of age. A child may cry as soon as the mother leaves the room. This is known as separation anxiety that may occur within this age level. Separation between the mother and child showed different behavior responses. Separation occurrences have increased within different behaviors. Infant-mother attachment is related to separation anxiety (Bowlby, 1960). Therefore, a child may cling way more to their familiar caregiver and start to fear new people or places. A child’s behavior depends more upon the child’s disposition and the present circumstances (Berk, 2014, p. 196)....
Words: 1246 - Pages: 5
...Relationships 4/16/14 1. How did Bowlby and Ainsworth characterize affectional bonds, attachments, and internal working models? Bowlby and Ainsworth distinguished between an affectional bond and an attachment, which involves feelings of security and having a safe base. An attachment is deduced from the existence of attachment behaviors. Once established, an attachment relationship becomes the basis of an internal working model that the child applies to future interactions with the attachment figure and with others. 2. What factors influence the parent’s bond to the child? For parents to form a strong bond to their infant, what is most crucial is not immediate contact at birth but the development and repetition of mutually reinforcing and interlocking attachment behaviors. 3. How does the child’s attachment to the parent change across infancy, early childhood, and middle childhood? Beginning around 6 months of age, which signals the presence of a clear attachment. Attachment behaviors become less visible during the preschool years, except when the child is stressed. School-aged children exhibit less safe behaviors than infants and preschoolers do, but extended separations can still be stressful. 4. What are the characteristics of parent-child relationships in adolescence? The child’s basic attachment to the parents remains strong in adolescence, despite an increase in parent-child conflict, the greater independence of the teenager, and the increased role of the peer...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
...Layout in Menu or Ribbon to Change Attachment Disorder Attachment should be an instant connection between the primary caregiver and infant. However, this is not always the case. Attachment problems appear when an infant is unable to consistently connect with the primary caregiver through crying and there’s no response to offer comfort. The British Journal of School Nursing (2013) has found the infant is expecting the primary caregiver to respond to their discomfort when they cry, feel pain, are cold or hungry in which this is their way of survival. It was believed that “infants suffered from analytic depression following a prolonged separation of an infant from their primary caregiver.” (Zeanah, 2000, p. 294) As the child grows so does their trust. Feldman (2011) says attachment during infancy affects how a child will relate to others throughout the rest of their lives. The attachment style reflects the parenting style. Feldman (2011) identified the four major parenting styles as authoritarian, permissive, authoritative, and uninvolved. Each parenting style is unique and each child is affected by it. According to Feldman (2011) a child with an authoritarian parent tends to be withdrawn and antisocial. The child of a permissive parent tends to be dependent, moody, have social skills issues and self-control issues. A child of and authoritative parent are seen as independent friendly, self-assertive and cooperates. Because this parent show to be a good role model for their...
Words: 428 - Pages: 2
...Running Head: AUTISM, ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING 1 Article Critique on Autism, Attachment and Parenting Jennifer L. York Liberty University AUTISM, ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING 2 Abstract This paper examines Rutgers et al.’s research article regarding autism, attachment and parenting. It is a comparison of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Mental Retardation (MR), Language Disorder (LD), and non-clinical children. This article addressed the issues of autism, attachment security, and parenting among the clinical and non-clinical groups. The author’s attachment security research was conducted using a variety of both screening questionnaires, and several parental self-report questionnaires assessing their parenting styles, parental efficacy, experiences of daily hassles, social support and psychological problems. Through the use of these questionnaires, observations by pediatric psychologists, and a follow-up at approximately four years of age, it was demonstrated that the children with ASD were rated less securely attached than both other clinical and non-clinical groups. Also, the parents of children with ASD reported a less authoritative parenting style and felt they received less social support than the parents of non-clinical children. This paper will delve deeper into their research and consider the results as it applies to the discipline. AUTISM, ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING 3 Article...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...Attachment Styles and Relationships Jennifer Oliver PSY/220 Adam Miller Part One When you have two individuals and they share an emotional attachment, we call this an attachment style. According to Bolt (2004), there are three main elements. Care, commitment and closeness. I like to remember them easily by calling them the 3 C’s. Attachment styles start at birth. It is important to realize that although nature and nurture are both important elements that help develop our attachment style they are not the only factors. Our parents, close relatives, even siblings can help us develop our individual attachment style. The first attachment style is closeness, from the time we are infants, we experience either the closeness of our caregivers or the absence of it. Closeness, when we are infants and even in other stages form emotional bonds. It is basic human nature to want to be close to those we feel love for. Infants who are not exposed to closeness in their early development can become anxious and scared. In some cases this is never overcome, in others as the child grows, they may experience other more stable and secure relationships and be able to overcome the closeness issues from their childhood. The second component in attachment style is care. This is a crucial element important to our development. Humans naturally want to feel safe and secure and to know that they are cared for and that there are those who would protect them at all cost. A child...
Words: 1171 - Pages: 5
...opportunity for optimal attachment to the mother or both parents. This is a crucial time for the baby, during this time the infant will attachment to its parents and forms either a secure attachment, insecure avoidance attachment or insecure ambivalent attachment. Attachment is considered a social concept in childhood development because; it lays the foundation for relationships with parents, siblings, friends and relatives. It also effects whether or not the child will grow up with the ability to hold fulfilling and successful relationships. When a child grows up with a secure attachment to both parents, they tend to have great problem solving skills as well as social skills. It also provides the starting point for the child to grow into a secure individual capable of have strong and stable emotional bonds with others. There are three attachment qualities in the developing child; secure attachment, insecure avoidance and insecure ambivalent attachment. When a child is securely attached to the parent they have a stable emotional bond with the parent. They are upset with the parent leaves however they experience a smaller amount of separation anxiety than the others. Also when the parent returns, the child actively seeks to be near the parent once again. Insecure avoidance attachment is just the opposite; they have anxious emotional bond with the parent and tend to shy away from the parent when he/she returns. A child with an insecure ambivalent attachment tends to have mixed...
Words: 515 - Pages: 3
...Task I Read: Ein-Dor, T., Mikulincer, M., Doron, G., & Shaver, P. R. (2010). The attachment paradox: How can so many of us (the insecure ones) have no adaptive advantages? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 123-141. Answer the following questions: 1. What is the paradox in attachment theory? The paradox in attachment theory is that insecure attachment styles such as avoidant and anxious could provide advantageous results in certain living conditions in the same way that a secure attachment style can. Although the original attachment theory according to Bowlby stated only the disadvantages of the then detrimental attachment styles (anxious and avoidant), researchers such as Belsky and Symons found there to be adaptive advantages to these styles with close regard to the fact that these styles have continued to evolve through time. In addition to this, the paradox also raises the matter that social groups containing members with different attachment patterns may be more fit for survival than those of a homogenous group of securely attached individuals. 2. To your opinion, why current theory and research in attachment fail to find adaptive advantages for insecure attachment orientations? It is clear that since the early formation of attachment theories, secure attachment has clearly proven to be the most efficient. If a child isn’t being responded to, attended, nurtured or is consistently cared for, he/she will become insecurely attached. These negative...
Words: 755 - Pages: 4
...F. Adam Matthews 26 November 2014 Romantic Attachment Styles Argosy University Online When it comes to romance and, specifically, romantic attachment styles, according to our text book, (Argosy University Online), there are three primary styles: Secure attachment style, which is when “I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I do not often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting close to me”. Avoidant attachment style, which is when “I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others. I find it difficult to trust them completely and difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close, and often, love partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being”. Anxious/ambivalent attachment style, which is when “I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner does not really love me or will not want to stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away”. What, exactly, is love? Love is something that “consists of three separable factors: passion, intimacy, and commitment” (Kenrick, D. T., Neuberg, S. L., & Cialdini, R. B.). Love can also be defined as, “strong affection for somebody arising out of kinship or personal ties [or] attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers [or] affection based on admiration...
Words: 1027 - Pages: 5
...demanding. Putting aside your entire life and giving up everything to satisfy the needs of your baby is not an easy or painless task. The immense pressure to do the best you possibly can for your child poses a huge responsibility on parents. In my opinion, the critiques condemnation of attachment parenting is not fair. I believe that the concept of attachment is reasonable and infact necessary for infants to develop into skilled, independent and mature individuals who share a strong emotional bond with their parents. First and foremost, it is essential to know what Attachment parenting is all about? It is ‘an approach of raising children who are well connected to their parents rather than a strict set of rules.’A common misconception that people have is considering intensive mothering to be a synonym for attachment parenting. Intensive mothering is based on the idea of completely sacrificing your needs and desires and devoting your life to your child or in other words letting your child dictate your life. Most of the articles such as Dr. Laura’s neighborhood focuses on the extreme extent people go to in order to raise their child in the “perfect” way. The author in a rather sarcastic tone aims to make the readers realize that even in the 1970’s and 80’s parents raised babies who turned out to be just fine without ‘the concern that they aren’t spending enough time with their kids and needing to demonstrate in countless ways each and everyday that you really, really love your child’....
Words: 1789 - Pages: 8
...Secure attachment and its correlation with violent behavior Kisha Serrano March 12, 2016 PSY 235 1N2 Professor: Lisa Routh Abstract The study of adolescence and the changes puberty can ensue are the topic of this paper. Puberty lasts approximately 5 years from beginning to end. This changes can influence how a child views life and the surrounding environment. In May 2015, a Colorado boy was involved in the attempted murder of his mother. This paper discusses the possible parenting style, attachment and environmental influences that might have perpetuated this situation. Insecure attachment and parenting styles correlate with an increase risk factor of violent behavior in adolescents. There are longitudinal studies linking attachment security and parenting with a child’s aggressive behavior. Also influencing such behavior is the media, who have been desensitizing children for the last two decades. When the 12-year-old offender was question, he could provide significant information as to why he attempted to kill his mother, which suggests the child might not have been aware of his externalizing tendencies. Secure attachment and its correlation with violent behavior May 01, 2015, Deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff’s office responded to a stabbing involving an 11-year-old and his mother. According to the information obtain the 11-year-old fell 20-30 feet from the window within the home. It is unknown whether...
Words: 1956 - Pages: 8
...Attachment Style and Relationships Anna Sylvester PSY/220 Darren Iwamoto In one’s life we all develop an attachment style based on the way we were raised as a child. There are three main attachment styles called, Secure Attachment, Avoid-ant Attachment and Anxious Attachment styles. Individuals with secure attachment tend to be more open to people. They feel more comfortable depending on others and worries less about whether they are accepted by others. Those with avoid-ant attachments are less invested in their relationships, they fear commitment and feels uncomfortable when others try to get too close to them. Then there is the anxious attachment, individuals with an anxious attachment are okay with others getting close to them, but often feel like others are reluctant to get as close to them as they would like. Anxious attachment individuals often fear that their spouse may leave them or that they may not love them. Their obsession to get really close to their partner can sometimes scare their partner away. These attachment styles shape your adult relationships and better understanding of them, can help each individual in their love relationship. Secure Attachment, a secure attachment is a bond that is developed when a child is raised with a very nurturing parents or caregivers. These parents or caregivers...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
