Key Article - Mother–child attachment, emotion regulation, and anxiety symptoms in middle childhood by LAURA E. BRUMARIU, KATHRYN A. KERNS, AND ASHLEY SEIBERT(2012)
Critical review
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Attachment, anxiety in childhood and emotional regulations:
A critical review
Introduction
In this critical review a critique would be made on the article :Mother–child attachment, emotion regulation, and anxiety symptoms in middle childhood by LAURA E. BRUMARIU, KATHRYN A. KERNS, AND ASHLEY SEIBERT(2012) In order to have a deeper understanding of the critique we have to understand how attachment theory have contributed in the understanding of human development and how it interprets childhood anxiety disorders.
One very important perspective of how the human development can be seen is the one of the attachment theory(Bowlby 1969) ' 'Attachment can be defined simply as an emotional con- connection to someone, evidenced by proximity seeking, feelings of security in the persons’ presence, and protest on separation from this attachment figure ' ',(Margaret S. StroebeJohn Archer2013)Before Bowlby 's revolutionary theory, scientists used to believe that the child is attached with his mother just because she is taking care of the baby 's basic biological needs(e.g. Hunger) that it was a secondary drive(ref from dev book)bowlby was the first who proved that the attachment between the infant and the care giver is a primary drive,something
John Bowlby developed his Attachment Theory to examine and explore the contextual relationships between a child and their caregiver and their behavioral repercussions. He describes it is “a way of conceptualizing the propensity of human beings to make strong affectional bonds to particular others and of explaining the many forms of emotional distress and personality disturbance, including anxiety, anger, depression, and emotional detachment, to which unwilling separation and loss give rise” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 127). An infant’s attachment to their primary caregiver establishes a sense of security, through protection, so the infant is able to explore the world with confidence and without threat and risk. During a child’s
The importance of a healthy attachment in early childhood development can lead to a better adult development and skills for daily life. A secure and healthy attachment to the caregiver in infancy to adolescence showcases the importance of building strong relationships and coping skills during periods of stress and anxiety. The research that has been found, goes into detail about the different types of attachments that infants and children can develop as well as what negative and positive aspects come along with the attachments.
The root of the mother-infant relationship as well as a child's development can be linked to John Bowlby's theory of attachment. Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst, developed the theory after running a study in which he attempted to understand the intense distress experienced by infants who had
Kerns, K. A., Abraham, M. M., Schlegelmilch, A., & Morgan, T. A. (2007). Mother-child attachment in later middle childhood: Assessment approaches and associations with mood and emotion regulation. Attachment
Development is an essential and mandatory constituent of human life that operates on multiple levels. It is a precise process, and there are a number of factors that affect its effectiveness. In particular, the development of a child is determinant of the adolescent behaviors, uniqueness and intelligence. Therefore, a considerable degree of weight is placed on the components that lead to the maturity of the child. In the development of a child, one of the key principles is called attachment. Just as safe attachment between the caregiver and the child can result in successful physical, mental and social development, vulnerable attachment can yield damaging consequences for the child in these areas (DeMulder, Denham, Schmidt, & Mitchell, 2000). Reactive attachment disorder is a likely outcome of unsafe attachment that eventually restricts the child’s capacity to emotionally and socially connect with other individuals, while destroying the cognitive ability as well (Crosson-Tower, 2013). This paper presents a detailed discussion on the attachment disorder in children and its impact on child development.
The purpose of this study is to look at the relationship between infant attachment styles and psychological wellbeing, with general anxiety as a measure of psychological wellbeing. This study will use an adult sample that will go through psychological tests to determine what attachment style each individual had when they were infants. After establishing their attachment styles their general anxiety levels will be tested. The results of these tests will help in establishing the relationship between the two variables. This study will have positive outcomes because it will improve existing information on this subject in psychology. This study could provide a better
There is a critical period during infancy known as attachment, the emotional and physiological closeness between an infant and their caregiver, which facilitates the maturation of the brain systems. Such brain systems are involved in self-regulatory abilities like attention, behavioral and emotions management, etc. When an infant is unable to control these abilities then they will depend on attentive adults (caregivers), to help regulate their needs. Researchers, Schore & Schore (2008), explicates the expansion of John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969). Ordinarily, Bowlby's Theory, suggests that as the infant develops cognitively, the extent of attachment will shift with the caregiver’s attentiveness to the child’s needs. The expansion of Bowlby’s
John Bowlby (1969) used the word “attachment” to explain the deep-rooted bonds that develop between children and their primary caregivers. Mother–infant attachment refers primarily to the lasting bonds between an infant and his or her mother (Bowlby, 1969). During this process an infant selectively seeks his or her mother when anxious in an effort to create a “secure base” while achieving comfort and feelings of safety.
Attachment theory is rooted in the biological concept that children seek proximity to their parents or caregivers as a mean to survive stressful or dangerous situation. Interaction between children and their care givers are integrated into representational or internal working models that guide children understanding of current and future relationships, including expectations regarding the trustworthiness and predictability of others. Attachment security is fostered when children trust that their care-givers are accessible and capable of responding to their needs and safety. Parental divorce is a stressful time that may initiate different changes.
The Journal Article “Linking Lack of Care in Childhood to Anxiety Disorders in Emerging Adulthood: the Role of Attachment Styles” discusses the research of what the title suggests, which is aimed at looking at the effects of childhood neglect and anxious-ambivalent attachment styles in the development in anxiety disorders (Schimmenti 42). Recently, the idea of emotional neglect “playing a key role” (Schimmenti 41) in the development of anxiety disorder has been a growing interest for Psychology researchers. Emotional neglect happens when a parent unintentionally overlooks the signs that that a child needs attention or comfort and not fulfilling a child’s emotional needs. Examples of this behavior includes: rejecting the child, withholding love, constant belittling, denying the child opportunities for interacting, and failing to provide psychological care.
John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure,
Attachment is one of the developmental milestones that begins during conception and remains throughout one’s life. It is defined as the “strong affectionate tie we have for special people in our lives that lead us to experience pleasure and joy when we interact with them and to be comforted by their nearness in times of stress” (Berk, 2011, p. 264). When an individual meets the child’s needs, an attachment begins to form. The primary caregiver, preferably the mother, is considered to be the initial secure base for the child. The emotional connection infants have towards their mother is what theorist Sigmund Freud believes to be the “foundation for all alter relationships” (as cited in Berk, 2011, p. 264). However, by the second half of the first year, infants begin to develop attachments towards anyone who responds to their needs.
Madigan, Moran, Otten, Pederson, and Schuengel conducted a longitudinal study (2007) with the purpose of finding the relationship between disorganized attachment in the early stages of infancy and behavior problems that emerged when becoming a toddler. The research was based on Bowlby’s model of psychopathology and his theory of attachment. Madigan, Moran, Otten, Pederson, and Shuengal related their study around this model. They looked at three relations that had to do with the development of a children behavior problems, they looked at the unresolved maternal attachment, interactive behavior between mother and child, and the infant’s attachment relationship.
John Bowlby theorized attachment as the emotional bond between a parent and their child (Stevenson-Hinde, 2007). How secure this bond is can influence a variety of areas in the child’s development. A parent can secure this attachment by how they interpret and respond to their child’s needs. There are four attachment patterns that can form, secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized. A child who is secure in their attachment is able to regulate their emotions in stressful situations, explore their environment, and displays positive social behaviors. When a child is insecure or disorganize they are at a risk of displaying problematic externalized behaviors and issues with controlling their emotions. The impact of how attachment affects a child’s external behaviors from infancy through adolescence will be evaluated within this paper.
“As infants grows older, they form close and enduring emotional attachments with the important people in their lives”. Reference 1. This essay will discuss the developmental period of infancy. Infancy is categorised as the development stage of a human from birth to 2 years of age. Infancy is a time in the human life that involves rapid growth and extraordinary changes in the first two years of life. Infants not only grow dramatically physically, their brains develop, and there is the start of locomotor skill development as well as the start of reflexes and sensory growth. The essay will also discuss anxiety and the role it plays with infants in regards to physical, cognitive and psychosocial stages an infant experiences. This essay will argue that the attachment of an infant to its mother is highly important. It will discuss the different way in which attachment affects an infant. This essay will discuss typical development milsetones in the first year years of human life. It will then go to analysis the relationship between infants being in day care or at home with their mother. T The typical physical development of a babys starts at borth. When a Baby is born on average it will weigh 3.4 kilograms and measure to be around 51 centimeters. A baby is typically 25 percent of its final adult weight when it is born but by its