Bonding and Attachment
1. Define the following terms: * Bonding – the basic link of trust between infant and caretaker. It develops from repeated completions: infant need> crying> rage reaction> parental action to meet need> satisfaction> relaxation. Successful bonding results in an infant acquiring a basic trust in others as responsive, in the world as a benign place, and in self as able to communicate needs.
* Attachment – is defined as a person-specific relationship that is dominated by affectionate interchanges. Attachment initially grows out of many instances of a young infant experiencing her parent as reflecting her emotional state. As a child grows, other mutually satisfying interactions add to the parent-child attachment. 2. Why is the quality of an infant's initial attachment important? The quality of an infant’s initial attachment is enormously important for it influences all subsequent development. Attachment has been identified as playing a vital role in all of the following: maintaining the bonds of trust, attaining full intellectual potential, acquiring a conscience, developing relationships with others, identity and self-esteem, learning to regulate feelings, language development, and brain structures and organization of the nervous system. 3. Describe Attachment at the following stages of development: * First month of life – Experiences the surrounding environment. The basic developmental task is to achieve a physiological balance and rhythm.
* 2 – 6 months – Feels "one" with the parent. They start smiling, making eye contact, recognizing the parent’s face and making happy noises. By the sixth month, an attaching infant is showing the full range of emotions, is responsive to parental wooing and initiates wooing exchanges. * 6 or 7 months – Develops stranger anxiety. Stranger anxiety testifies to the strength of an infant’s attachment to her parent. Behaviorally, this anxiety manifests as distress in the
* Attachment – is defined as a person-specific relationship that is dominated by affectionate interchanges. Attachment initially grows out of many instances of a young infant experiencing her parent as reflecting her emotional state. As a child grows, other mutually satisfying interactions add to the parent-child attachment. 2. Why is the quality of an infant's initial attachment important? The quality of an infant’s initial attachment is enormously important for it influences all subsequent development. Attachment has been identified as playing a vital role in all of the following: maintaining the bonds of trust, attaining full intellectual potential, acquiring a conscience, developing relationships with others, identity and self-esteem, learning to regulate feelings, language development, and brain structures and organization of the nervous system. 3. Describe Attachment at the following stages of development: * First month of life – Experiences the surrounding environment. The basic developmental task is to achieve a physiological balance and rhythm.
* 2 – 6 months – Feels "one" with the parent. They start smiling, making eye contact, recognizing the parent’s face and making happy noises. By the sixth month, an attaching infant is showing the full range of emotions, is responsive to parental wooing and initiates wooing exchanges. * 6 or 7 months – Develops stranger anxiety. Stranger anxiety testifies to the strength of an infant’s attachment to her parent. Behaviorally, this anxiety manifests as distress in the