Bowlby's Attachment Theory
Extended Essay
Psychology
Attachment during infancy and its role on child’s development
Introduction
In all countries, despite the differences in cultures and beliefs, it is inevitable for infants to develop a bond with who takes care of them. Unlike children who are older who can communicate through speaking to express their feelings, infants use other ways such as crying or whining or clinging as their means of communication. Whether the child’s caregiver pays close attention to these behaviours determines if there is a bond formed between the infant and the caregiver.
This essay will focus on the attachment theory and the role of attachment during infancy on a child’s development later on in life. Taking into a consideration …show more content…
that there are still other factors that influence a child’s development, I have become interested in exploring specifically how the person or people nourishing the child plays a role on their development. Thus coming up with the question: How does attachment during infancy contribute in a child’s development?
Having the knowledge about the role of attachment during a child’s early years is important not only for the parents but also the child’s other caregivers as it gives them an idea about what their actions towards the child affect their development.
It is important for a child to form a bond with their caregiver as it develops their trust and ability to open up to other people.
Definition of Attachment
Attachment is defined as the "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings". It can also be defined as an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across time and space.
Attachment Theory
The Attachment theory, initially proposed by John Bowlby, specifically makes the claim that the ability for an individual to form an emotional and physical "attachment" to another person gives a sense of stability and security necessary to take risks, branch out, and grow and develop as a personality. The theory also defines that the child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood with lifelong consequences
Because human infants, like other mammalian infants, cannot feed or protect themselves, they are dependent upon the care and protection of adults who are older and wiser.
Attachment behaviour system
“Intimate attachments to other human beings are the hub around which a person’s life revolves, not only when he is an infant or a toddler or a school child but throughout his adolescence and his years of maturity as well, and on into old …show more content…
age.”
The Strange situation – studying infant-parent attachment
A laboratory experiment was conducted in 1978 by Mary Ainsworth in a laboratory playroom where 12-month-old infants and their parents are separated from one another and then reunited.
This was called the Strange Situation and three categories are created based on the infants’ reaction upon their parent’s disappearance. These associates with parent-infant interactions in the home during the child’s first year of life.
o Secure children: Most children (around 60%) become distressed when the parent leaves the room. When he or she returns, the child actively seeks the parent and is easily soothed by the parent. The parents of these children tend to be responsive to their needs. They recognize and respond to their infant's behaviour and cues; they meet their emotional and physical needs and regularly engage their child in lively social interactions. o Anxious-resistant children: Children (about 20% or less) when separated from the parent, become extremely distraught. But when reunited with their parents, the parents have difficulty soothing their child. The child often exhibit behaviours that are conflicting and suggest they want to be comforted, but at the same time be angry or "punish" the parent for leaving by
kicking. o Avoidant children: Children (about 20%) don't appear too distressed when separated from the parent. Upon reunion, they actively avoid seeking contact with their parent, sometimes turning their attention to play objects on the laboratory floor.
Attachment Parenting
Attachment parenting encourages parents’ responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops the child’s trust that their emotional needs will be met. This helps the development of the child’s secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps the child to form a strong emotional bond (secure attachment) which nurtures a child's socio-emotional development and well-being. Parents that are less sensitive and emotionally unavailable results in the neglect of the child's needs and therefore result in insecure forms of attachment style, a risk factor for many mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders
Other rare cases result in the child not forming any kind of attachment and have disturbed and developmentally inappropriate ways of relating socially
Conditions present during Attachment
Effects
No attachment o Bowlby noted children who were exposed to extended periods of deprivation, were essentially “affectionless” (Bowlby, 1979) o Based on his experiences with two boys who had distressing relationships with their mothers, Bowlby speculated that a key contributor to later psychological disorders is early interference in the mother-infant relationship. o Partial deprivation of primary caregivers to children resulted in an excessive desire for love or revenge, guilt, and depression o Complete deprivation to children resulted in lack of focus and concentration and increased feelings of listlessness, unresponsiveness, developmental disruptions.
Psychology
Attachment during infancy and its role on child’s development
Introduction
In all countries, despite the differences in cultures and beliefs, it is inevitable for infants to develop a bond with who takes care of them. Unlike children who are older who can communicate through speaking to express their feelings, infants use other ways such as crying or whining or clinging as their means of communication. Whether the child’s caregiver pays close attention to these behaviours determines if there is a bond formed between the infant and the caregiver.
This essay will focus on the attachment theory and the role of attachment during infancy on a child’s development later on in life. Taking into a consideration …show more content…
that there are still other factors that influence a child’s development, I have become interested in exploring specifically how the person or people nourishing the child plays a role on their development. Thus coming up with the question: How does attachment during infancy contribute in a child’s development?
Having the knowledge about the role of attachment during a child’s early years is important not only for the parents but also the child’s other caregivers as it gives them an idea about what their actions towards the child affect their development.
It is important for a child to form a bond with their caregiver as it develops their trust and ability to open up to other people.
Definition of Attachment
Attachment is defined as the "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings". It can also be defined as an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across time and space.
Attachment Theory
The Attachment theory, initially proposed by John Bowlby, specifically makes the claim that the ability for an individual to form an emotional and physical "attachment" to another person gives a sense of stability and security necessary to take risks, branch out, and grow and develop as a personality. The theory also defines that the child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood with lifelong consequences
Because human infants, like other mammalian infants, cannot feed or protect themselves, they are dependent upon the care and protection of adults who are older and wiser.
Attachment behaviour system
“Intimate attachments to other human beings are the hub around which a person’s life revolves, not only when he is an infant or a toddler or a school child but throughout his adolescence and his years of maturity as well, and on into old …show more content…
age.”
The Strange situation – studying infant-parent attachment
A laboratory experiment was conducted in 1978 by Mary Ainsworth in a laboratory playroom where 12-month-old infants and their parents are separated from one another and then reunited.
This was called the Strange Situation and three categories are created based on the infants’ reaction upon their parent’s disappearance. These associates with parent-infant interactions in the home during the child’s first year of life.
o Secure children: Most children (around 60%) become distressed when the parent leaves the room. When he or she returns, the child actively seeks the parent and is easily soothed by the parent. The parents of these children tend to be responsive to their needs. They recognize and respond to their infant's behaviour and cues; they meet their emotional and physical needs and regularly engage their child in lively social interactions. o Anxious-resistant children: Children (about 20% or less) when separated from the parent, become extremely distraught. But when reunited with their parents, the parents have difficulty soothing their child. The child often exhibit behaviours that are conflicting and suggest they want to be comforted, but at the same time be angry or "punish" the parent for leaving by
kicking. o Avoidant children: Children (about 20%) don't appear too distressed when separated from the parent. Upon reunion, they actively avoid seeking contact with their parent, sometimes turning their attention to play objects on the laboratory floor.
Attachment Parenting
Attachment parenting encourages parents’ responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops the child’s trust that their emotional needs will be met. This helps the development of the child’s secure, empathic, peaceful, and enduring relationships. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps the child to form a strong emotional bond (secure attachment) which nurtures a child's socio-emotional development and well-being. Parents that are less sensitive and emotionally unavailable results in the neglect of the child's needs and therefore result in insecure forms of attachment style, a risk factor for many mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders
Other rare cases result in the child not forming any kind of attachment and have disturbed and developmentally inappropriate ways of relating socially
Conditions present during Attachment
Effects
No attachment o Bowlby noted children who were exposed to extended periods of deprivation, were essentially “affectionless” (Bowlby, 1979) o Based on his experiences with two boys who had distressing relationships with their mothers, Bowlby speculated that a key contributor to later psychological disorders is early interference in the mother-infant relationship. o Partial deprivation of primary caregivers to children resulted in an excessive desire for love or revenge, guilt, and depression o Complete deprivation to children resulted in lack of focus and concentration and increased feelings of listlessness, unresponsiveness, developmental disruptions.