Early Attachment Styles

Improved Essays
The continuity of early and late attachment styles has been widely studied and debated for many years. Attachment history has been shown to affect the capacity for emotional regulation, the growth of self-reliance and the emergence of social competence, and is believed to explain the origins of social and emotional behaviour (Sroufe, 2005; Lewis, Feiring & Rosenthal, 2000). Because of these impacts, developmental psychologists have sought to determine if there is continuity between infant and adult attachment styles and what factors influence this change or continuity. From this research two opposing theories have been developed. The first from Bowlby, describes attachment styles as stable across time and only open to change after the experience …show more content…
Conversely, others argue that attachment styles are evolving and updated in light of experiences (Fraley, 2002). In this essay it will be argued that attachment styles are evolving and are open to change after the first year of life.
Attachment seeks to explain aspects of the origins of social and emotional behaviour (Sroufe, 2005). Bowlby suggested that during infancy, humans develop expectations and beliefs, what he called internal working models, of themselves, others and the world based on their interactions with their primary caregivers (Hamilton, 2000). If caregivers are generally responsive, warm and consistently available, the child learns that others can be counted on in times of needs and develops what is termed a secure working model of attachment (Fraley, 2002). If however the caregiver is cold, rejecting unpredictable or insensitive, the child learns that others cannot be relied upon for support and comfort and thus he or she will develop an insecure or anxious working model of attachment (Fraley, 2002). During childhood these internal
…show more content…
Further research into the mechanism through which experience leads to change in attachment styles and the mechanisms of attachment stability should be investigated to deepen the understanding of this complex

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    1.1 Summarise theories of attachment The term attachment is widely used by psychologists studying children’s early relationships. An attachment can be thought of as a unique emotional tie between a child and another person usually an adult or a special toy or blanket. Research has repeatedly shown that the quality of these ties or attachments will shape a child’s ability to form other relationships later in life. Attachment theories have shaped practice in day-to-day child care and education but also social care practice.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Bowlby (1951) saw attachment behaviour as an instinctive reaction. The infant will use social releasers, such as crying and smiling to seek proximity to the primary caregiver, to ensure survival in evolutionary times. The infant will use social releasers when proximity to the caregiver is threatened, such as by separation, insecurity or fear. Social releasers will stimulate caregiving in adults, so that care and responsiveness become determinant for attachment. A securely attached child will regulate its emotions well, and the secure attachment will act as a safe base for the child to explore the world from.…

    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Attachment Theory

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout this essay I will be discussing the significance of attachment theory for social work practitioners and how they can implement this to develop emotional functioning with younger children. In addition I will examine how the theory has changed and progressed since John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth first “attempts to examine the psychological effects of early relationships” ( Goldberg,2000, pg3) to more contemporary approach such as Michael Rutter’s book on “Maternal Deprivation reassessed” critiquing Bowlby and the development in neuroscience. Attachment theory can be defined as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby 1969, p. 194). John Bowlby, “a British psychoanalyst’ work attempted to understand the…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Essay On Attachment Theory

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages

    ESSAY 1: What Would You Do For A Crying Baby? Ng Xin-Ru, Victoria 1403271H Crying suggests a physiological maturational development, which requires adjustment and adaptation. Crying is not a signal for help or relief, as it does not require intervention (Thomson & Leeds, 2014). Infants communicate their needs to their caregiver through crying (Soltis, 2004), thus, being able to evaluate the infant’s cries is an important skill for caregivers to develop.…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Attachment Theory

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Psychological theories focus on the instinctive and psychological qualities of those who abuse. It is abnormalities that the individual abuser is responsible for abuse, for example, abusive parents may themselves have been abuse in childhood (Corby 2000). Attachment theory comes from the work of Bowlby (1951) who carried out research into the nature and effects of maternal lack on young children. He theorized that any significant separation of a child from the mother in the first five years of life could lead to a variety of psychological and social difficulties in later life since proper bonding and attachment to the mother was crucial if a child was to benefit from physical protection and psychological security. Until the mid 1980s, attachment…

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Internal Working Model is carried on throughout a person’s life and works as a cognitive framework of rational illustrations that aids in the understanding of our environment, the self, and our interaction with other people. In addition, it contains personal memories and expectations that actively guides a person’s social behavior (Bretherton, & Munholland, 1999), which are manifested through our thoughts and behaviors associated with closeness to others, when seeking support, and the ensuing sense of “safety and security” (Bowlby, 1988). Adults are continuously influenced by their initial infant-caregiver attachment bond in forming social intimate relationships, this type of attachment is now what we formally call as the “Adult Attachment…

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every day people interact within different types of relationships, whether they are with friends, family or significant others. We have a need for these relationships. One of the most important relationships that provide support for an individual is the one we have with our parents. Multiple studies have shown that children rely on their parents for a sense of security in early development because of how the parents respond to their child. This sense of security that is given to the child helps the child develop their sense of emotion.…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dawn's Attachment Theory

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dawn’s behavior from an attachment point of view According to Ainsworth (1967, p. 429), an attachment is more than overt behavior, it is internal, "being built into the nervous system…” and Bowlby conceptualized attachment as a biologically based repertoire of organized behaviors (eg, infants’ crying, smiling, clinging and proximity seeking). The unfamiliar environments for Dawn having to share her mother with the new baby have left her alone, directing her to certain behaviors toward the parents to gain attention, protection and feeling of safety. Dawn has presenting unwanted behaviors to master the new environment. The parents are unavailable and the harsh rejection is associated with the child’s insecurity and attachment difficulties.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These four functions are crucial in creating a positive temperament and establishing goodness of fit. Based on Bowlby’s functions of attachment model, comes the investigation of attachment styles. Ainsworth contributed to the importance of attachment through an experiment called, “the strange situation”. This was conducted on infants aged nine to eighteen months, where they’re left in a room with a stranger without their mother, after some time the stranger leaves and the mother reenters the room. From this study, Ainsworth not only investigated the caregiver as a base for exploration, but also found four styles of attachment.…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction There has been a decent amount of research done on attachment styles, however specific associations are still among many studies. Explored here is a more in depth look at children and adolescents with insecure attachment styles and the prevalence of a corresponding conduct disorder. Three different empirical articles have been chose to discuss this concerning issue for child and adolescent psychopathology. Each author attempts to uncover the remarkable relationships that humans possess to carry out feelings of attachment that stem from hours after birth to well into our lifetime.…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    My Attachment Style Essay

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages

    At least once everyday I have an interaction with people – whether good or bad—what determines the way I interact with people is my attachment style. An attachment style is simply the way in which I do relationships; and that attachment style is determined by my early childhood relationships. Although my relationships as a child strongly influence my attachment style, it can still change based on the circumstances that I face throughout my life. Growing up I had a secure attachment style, but as I have grown up and experienced difficulties my attachment style goes between secure and avoidant.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Attachment The Attachment Theory maintains that the bond between an infant and his or her primary caregiver greatly influences personality, cognitive ability, and relationships throughout life. Psychologist Mary Ainsworth studied attachment patterns through an experiment known as the Strange Situation in which a mother left a child in a room for short period of time either alone or with a stranger; the child’s behavior was assessed when the mother left and when she returned. Three different patterns were observed. They are secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and ambivalent attachment.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Attachment Styles Essay

    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The phrase “attachment” was initially introduced by Bowlby in 1958. Edward John Bowlby was a British psychologist who was distinguished by his interest in children’s development and his revolutionary work in attachment theory which was the starting point in psychology. From Bowlby to Mary Ainsworth who was a developmental psychology known for her experiment The strange situation. There are different ways in which we attach to the people in their lives and how we categorise the types of attachment. The main study that assesses attachment styles is by Ainsworth and Wittig in 1969.…

    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The behaviour of an individual and the relationships they have – whether it’s platonic, romantic or familial – can be traced back to early childhood - as early as infancy even. Bowlby (1977) defines attachment as; “an enduring emotional bond which an individual forms to another person.” In other words, attachment is a strong tie an individual has with special figures in their lives, in whom they place great trust in. When they interact with these special figures, they feel joy and experience pleasure, likewise, in times of distress, they turn to them to seek comfort.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Attachment plays a large role in relationships. Attachment is the relationship that one makes with a parent, sibling, friend, or partner. Tai Mendenhall defines attachment as “a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care, and pleasure”. Attachment is established in early childhood between a child and their caregiver which usually is their parents. A child’s attachment style usually suggests the type of attachment style someone will have as an adult.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays