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Bowlby's Attachment Style

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Recommended: Attachment theory infants and toddlers

How was this attachment style born? Bowlby identified a clear and predictable sequence of three emotional reactions that typically occur subsequent to the separation of an infant from its primary caregiver as explained by Levy & Blatt (1999). First emotional reaction he identified is protest that involves crying, active searching, and resistance to others soothing efforts. Followed by despair and then detachment (Levy & Blatt 1999). Differences occur in the degree to which infant-mother relationships are characterized by experiences of security (Levy & Blatt 1999). Some mothers are slow in response to their infant cries. The infants of these mothers cry more often and explore less than securely attachment infants (Levy & Blatt 1999). Many infants eventually try to avoid mothers who previously had frequently rejected them or turn deaf hears to their cry. This establishes the avoidant attachment in kids (Levy & Blatt 1999). The continuity of avoidance of kids transmitting into adulthood is rooted in the nature of concepts of “self and others” as well as “interpersonal expectations” created by the kids (as explained by Levy & Blatt 1999). “The internal working model of the interaction between self and other guides subsequent interpersonal relationships” (Levy & Blatt …show more content…

Anisworth developed a technique called the “strange situation” (Levy & Blatt 1999). Through this, Ainsworth was able to categorize infants with considerable reliability into three distinct groups (Secure, avoidant and anxious-ambivalent) based on their reunion behaviour with their mothers after their brief separation. She explains that the avoidant is characterized by a quiet distance in the mother’s presence, acting unaware of the mother’s departure, and avoiding the mother upon reunion (Levy & Blatt

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1-Which of the following theories suggests that the mother becomes an attachment object because she reduces the baby’s primary drive of hunger: a) Psychoanalytic Theory b) Cognitive Developmental Theory c) Learning Theory d) Ethological Theory 2-One of the phases in early development of attachment, Attachment in the making, occurs during the ages: a) 7-24 months of age b) 0-2 months of age c) 24 months on d) 2-7 months of age 3-Which of the following refers to separation protest, wariness of strangers, and intentional communication: a) Preattachment b) Attachment in the making c) Clear-cut attachment d) Goal-corrected partnership 4-Which of the following classifications indicates a child who actively avoids and ignores parent on reunion with

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However, the emotional attachment that a biological mother (birth mother) may experience

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Attachment is a crucial part of a babies first year of life, Mary Ainsworth investigated weather the quality of attachment matters to a child's well being and also if some attachments are better than others. Ainsworth carried out her experiment which is known as "strange situation" The aim of this was to test how strong attachments were. During the experiment Ainsworth focused on the babies reactions during each part these included Parent and baby in a room, baby free to explore room whilst parent remains inactive, stranger joins parent and baby, Parent leaves room, Parent returns settles baby and stranger leaves, Baby is alone in the room, Stranger returns and interacts with the baby, Parent returns to the room and stranger leaves. During

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(Carpenter and Huffman, 2013 p.278) In her studies of infants, she placed the mother in a room with the child (securely attached), then introduced a stranger to the child(anxious/ambivalent), then the mother would leave the room leaving the stranger with the child(anxious/avoidant), then mother would return (disorganized/disoriented attachment). Observations of the child's reactions towards the mother and stranger in each of these segments were analyzed. From this, Ainsworth was able to conclude the bonding the child had toward their mother. The more attached the child, the more they responded to the mother coming and going, either by clinging, crying or following.

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Although we are studying theories, some of them appear to explain human behavior and personality with certain accuracy. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth theories of attachment can also explain what happens to people when attachment to their parents or caregivers is healthy or potential problems that could occur due to detachments. They suggest that individuals raised with secure attachments to their primary caregivers help them to feel secure; moreover, these children appear to be more socially skilled and less likely to experience major emotional disturbances. However, failure to form healthy attachments, especially mother-child, could serve as a descriptive mechanism for many negative psychological outcomes later in the life of an individual,

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In Clip B the first time the mother leaves the child wonders where her mother went and goes to her mother when she returns. The second time the mother leaves Lindsey begins to cry and when the mother returns Lindsay goes to her mother and stops crying which shows secure attachment. Lindsey 's mother appears to be enthusiastic when playing with her child and consoles the child upon the second return. The book describes secure attachment as the child wants to be with the mother when the mother returns and may or may not cry when the mother leaves.

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Babies are born with an innate ability to learn and their brain to develop after birth. The neural pathways of a human’s brain are built based on their early experience in the world. A baby’s world is based on how they are treated by people in it therefore if the environment is scary then the baby will be reluctant to explore, as demonstrated n Bowlby’s and Ainsworth’s attachment theory. The brain and body become wired enough to understand what is safe and what should be feared. The birth to 3 years of a child’s life is a critical period for the brain during child development and any deprivation during this will result in persistent deficits in cognitive, emotional and even physical health.

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She began to shows signs of reluctance during drop offs at day care, as well as grow fearful of unfamiliar people. Over the course of the next four months, Ramona began to try new things with me nearby. After multiple interactions with people, she was able to interact with them. When Ramona began to grow fearful of people and separation from myself, I made sure to provide an appropriate level of response. In our text, it states that mothers who give this type of attention to have secure children.

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Theories (Erikson & Attachment) According to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, trust vs. mistrust, occurs in the first year of life. Erikson believed that the caregiver’s response to the infant’s cries help them develop a sense of trust, when the caregiver responds right away to the infant’s distress of crying or fussing (Mooney, 2000). Erikson believed that in the earliest years of life, mainly during infancy, patterns of trust or mistrust are formed that control, or at least influence, a person’s actions or interactions for the rest of life (Erikson, 1950). Bowlby hypothesized that children are born with a predisposition to be attached to caregivers and that children will organize their behavior and thinking in order to maintain those relationships (Bettmann, 2006).

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This test observed patterns in the infants’ experiences of separation and reunion with their mother, and their reaction to a stranger, in order to evaluate the type of attachment relationship the infant shared with their mother (Ainsworth, 1978). Ainsworth found a significant consistency between the mothers’ interactive styles and the reactions of the infants. The results of this test led Ainsworth to classify the behaviours into three main categories. She identified the infants to have secure attachment, or one of two forms of insecure attachment, avoidant or ambivalent (Music,

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The babies were visited monthly and the carers were also observed and interviewed. A diary was also kept by the primary care giver (usually the mother) three measure were recorded. The first was stranger anxiety – the response to the arrival of a stranger, the second was separation anxiety – the distress levels when separated from the career and the degree of comfort upon their return and finally social referencing – the degree that the child looks at the carer to check how they should respond to something new (this is referred to as secure base). They discovered that a baby’s attachment follows in this sequence. • 0-6 weeks – Asocial –

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A human baby is born with poorly developed sight and is unable to move. As a consequence to this he is vulnerable and is completely dependent on a carer for survival (Winston, 2003). To improve the chances of survival, the baby is born with pre-programmed and automatic behaviour which are prompted by environmental factors (Bergen, 2008). Bowlby theorised that when a young child feels distressed, frightened or confused, attachment behaviour is triggered and this serves to bring the child closer to their mother* who provides the desired comfort, care and protection (Bowlby,

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When the mother returns, the infant pushes the mother away or is avoidant to the mother. Infants with avoidant attachment do not feel distressed when the mother leaves, is interactive with the stranger, and shows

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Through factors such as cognitive development of the infant, attentive care and intimate interactions with a primary caregiver, the attachment relationship is created – shaping the infants- caregiver bond. By examining the interactions between an infant and their primary caregiver, we can identify secure, insecure and disorganized attachment (Ainsworth, 1978; Cassidy 1994); which can reveal a great deal about the relationship between the infant and attachment figure. Overall, the quality of attachment bonds formed in the early years can have long lasting effects on an infant’s emotional security and social competence; not only shaping their ability to form relationships, but laying the foundations for the social, emotional and mental development of the

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The adverse effects of separation are due to a range of causes and not just maternal deprivation; any linguistic and intellectual debilitation is most likely to be due to a lack of linguistic and environmental stimulation rather than a breakdown of the mother-infant relationship; and Hetherington (1982) suggests that the mother-infant relationship is not unique based on the fact that children who experienced divorce and lived with the parent they had a particularly good relationship with (regardless of gender) were protected from the worst effects of marriage breakdown. It is clear that society has evolved to create more likelihood of separation between mother and infant in many ways – mothers give birth in hospitals especially in western society, this can lead

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