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Outline And Evaluate Two Explanations Of Attachment Theory

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According to the behavioural approach and attachment theory, Shaver et al suggested that romantic love in adulthood is an integration of three behavioural systems acquired in infancy: attachment, caregiving, and sexuality systems. Attachment systems are related to Bowlby’s Internal Working Model (IWM). He suggested that early adult relationships were a continuation of early attachment styles (secure or insecure), because the behaviour of the infants primary caregiver (PCG) promotes and IWM of relationships, leading infants to expect the same in future adult relationships. For example, secure attachment, which is categorised by a PCG who is caring and understanding will lead to an empathetic adult who is able to create meaningful relationships. Similarly, infants who have an insecure avoidant attachment type due to a rejecting PCG, leads to an adult who is instant and intolerant in romantic relationships. Therefore suggesting how an infants attachment type to their PCG may influence …show more content…

This is also known as Social Learning Theory (Bandura) and states that we learn by watching what happens to others, and under certain conditions we imitate these behaviours. So, in regard to adult relationships, children may learn particular relationship related behaviours from their parents and apply those to future adult relationships. For example, a child who sees their parents constantly fighting may interpret that this behaviour is normal and apply it to a romantic relationship later on. Lastly, sexual systems are also learnt in relation to early attachment types with the PCG. For example, an infant who is insecure avoidant is likely to view sexual relations without love as pleasurable. This is because, as an infant they tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others, and according to Bowlby, this behaviour will be mirrored in adulthood

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585 Words | 3 Pages

Secondly, anxious-ambivalent attachment is observe when a child is too anxious and nervous to be reengaged with play on return of primary caregiver. Lastly, disorganized attachment is bizarre behavior on the return of the caregiver manifested by erratic running, freezing and displays of intense fear (Belsky, 2015). The durability of the attachment theory can be seen across the lifespan in different sectors and individual choices. For instance, according to research the types of relationships either healthy or abusive are determined by an attachment bond or trauma bond replicating early childhood attachments (Schwartz, J.

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443 Words | 2 Pages

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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800 Words | 4 Pages

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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1650 Words | 7 Pages

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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1577 Words | 7 Pages

This essay will compare and contrast two theories of romantic attachment/approaches, the interpersonal theory of attraction which are the positive feelings and attitudes towards another individual and the attachment theory which focuses on how the emotional bond between an infant and their caregiver affect the individual when they are an adult and how this may be applied to romantic attachment. It will also evaluate the strengths and limitations of each theory with reference to examples and scholarly articles. This essay will also argue that both theories are useful explanations of romantic attachment/attraction. There are also three other theories of interpersonal attraction; social exchange theory, evolutionary theory and the socio-cultural

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440 Words | 2 Pages

This theory states that there are two different ways that we learn. One of which is through “being rewarded for our actions” this is also an example of instrumental learning. The other way is how we observe others behaviors and imitate them from watching, this is also called modeling. This theory states that children learn to be abusive from watching one parent abuse another or from being abused by the parents. Attachment Theory

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1214 Words | 5 Pages

The paper mainly focuses on the conceptual framework of Attachment theory as well as attachment style of a client with Self-esteem issues that helps in the case formulation and treatment plan in Cognitive Behavioural Theory (CBT). Attachment style can be explained as an emotional connection of one person with another. The aim of this research study is to evaluate an association between attachment theory and cognitive behavioural approaches, explicitly pointing out similarities as well as differences between both. For the research analysis, qualitative research methodology has been selected for which distinctive previous researches, books and journal article resources has been examined as the gathered evidences are based on attachment theory

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However Schaffer and Emmerson’s (1964) research dismissed this. They studied fifty-eight Scottish infants and found that by the time the infant turns eighteen months only thirteen percent had only one attachment figure. Bowlby took on board this research (Meins 1997), and came to believe that monotropy allows for other attachment relationships, but places the mother’s attachment relationship at the top, as it forms the basis for all future relationships (Bowlby 1988). Research by Mary Ainsworth and Schaffer and Emmerson, support Bowlby’s revised theory of monotropy. Ainsworth, in her study on infants in Ganda, found that by nine or ten months the majority of infants were showing attachment behaviours to multiple people but showed a preference for one attachment figure.

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125 Words | 1 Pages

Attachment is when a child has an emotional positive bond with another person. Attachment optimistically encourages emotional, social or cognitive development. In addition, attachment is important when trying to cope with stressful situations and can help form stable relationships. Attachment reflects a dynamic interplay between an infant and their caregiver because we are pre-wired to respond through observation of our caregivers signals such as smiling, crying, clinging and reinforcement through development. Most importantly, the process of imprinting behavior proposes that infant‘s can distinguish between the parent and others.

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339 Words | 2 Pages

episodes where the mother, the child and a stranger engage in a few different tasks. The researchers observe through one way mirror all the behaviors of the child and his response to each event. The main things that are tested are how the baby reacts when the mother leaves and the amount of exploration of the room by the baby throughout the test. The SS test is not a diagnostic tool and the attachment classifications are not clinically diagnosed. This is just an experiment designed by Mary Ainsworth to test her hypothesis which suggests that the important factor that determines what type of attachment the baby will have is the degree of sensitivity shown by the mother or caregiver.

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604 Words | 3 Pages

Whilst there is clear empirical evidence that suggests attachment plays a role in close relationships, I prefer Brown’s model (1999) for developing close relationships and Minding for maintaining them. I dislike the idea that your bond with your mother dictates your adult relationships and that your attachment style is unchangeable (Klohnen & Bera, 1998) thus dooming all but securely attached individuals to a life of unfulfilling

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1354 Words | 6 Pages

In the opposite direction, insecure attachments, has negative impact on child overall development for instance they are be able to manage their emotions or engage in reciprocal relationships. In a longitudinal study by Waters, Merrick, Treboux, & Albersheim (2000), they monitored 50 individuals over a period of 20 years found that there is a stable secured attachment over that period, with a greater percentile for individuals without any major negative life events, and less stable (less than 50%) for those who had experienced a major negative

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785 Words | 4 Pages

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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1810 Words | 8 Pages

If one is aware of his or her attachment style then it will be easier to work on their relationship, especially on the fears and insecurities that both partners have. It will be easier to develop new attachment styles for a better relationship. Romantic relationships could fix a person’s attachment style, especially those with ambivalent or anxious attachment styles. Attachment style is something that becomes a part of one’s personality but a lot of people do not know their own attachment style. Attachment style affects everything from selecting a partner, to the quality of the relationship, and how the relationship ends, which is why it is important to determine one’s attachment style so as to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses in a relationship.

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1137 Words | 5 Pages

Attachment in early life is a fundamental aspect of child development and the establishment of intimate and reciprocal relationships with caregivers. Shaffer & Kipp (2007) define attachment as ‘a close emotional relationship between two persons, characterized by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity’. Contrary to the original view of infant attachment as a ‘secondary drive’ of the dependency on caregivers for physiological needs, such as hunger; Bowlby (1969, 1973) proposed that all infants are born with an innate bias to form an attachment to a primary attachment figure to whom they can seek comfort, or a ‘secure base’ during stressful circumstances. It is proposed by Ainsworth (1967) that parental sensitivity is crucial to shaping the security and development of the initial infant-parent attachment relationship, however the phenomenon of attachment requires both infants and caregivers to contribute in the formation of the attachment bond. Ultimately, the quality of attachment in early life shapes both the social and emotional

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