Discuss Theories Of Attachment Behavior

Ainsworths ‘strange situation’ was developed as a tool to measure types of attachment in infants. The experiment was carried out in a purpose build playroom and children were observed with cameras. It consisted of several situations, standardised for all those who took part. Each condition involved variation of the presence of the mother and/or a stranger, over 3 minute intervals. During these different conditions, the child’s behaviour was monitored, assessing their exploratory behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation protest and reunion behaviour. From her study, Ainsworth identified three types of attachment, these were: secure, insecure- avoidant and insecure-resistant, she

Mary Ainsworth is known for her ‘Strange Situation’ (Custance 2010) studies with children. Her theory was that the quality of an infant’s attachment depends largely on the kind of attention the infant has received. She observed the attachment styles of children, mostly aged between 12 and 24 months, by placing them in an environment and recording their reactions to their mothers (or primary caregivers) leaving the room and then returning. Based on these observations Ainsworth concluded that there are different types of attachment. Three types of attachment are: ‘anxious-avoidant’, where the child shows little upset with the stranger, but will avoid contact with the parent on their return. The ‘securely attached’ child is one that will show moderate levels of proximity seeking towards the parents and is upset by their departure but deals with the parents return positively, often returning to play. The third type is the ‘anxious-resistant’ child; greatly upset by the parent’s departure and on reunion seems angry and will not be comforted or picked up (Custance 2010).

The attachment theory is a theory by Bowlby that refers to the joint mutual relationship that babies experience and develop with their primary caregiver (Bowlby, 1982). This theory is not supported by research in various sceneries. However, even though the attachment theory began as an initiative, the clinical application to the daily clinical understanding of adult mental health complications has penned red behind the current available research. I believe that the theory can give valuable insight into both the developing nature of recognized psychiatric disorders as well as in the development of the therapeutic relationship in adults. My position provides an overview of (a) the application of attachment theory to diverse psychopathologies

To begin with attachment theory, first everyone should understand what the attachment is. According to attachment means bonding between a child and caregiver or vice versa. The attachment theory is the theory that describes the long term interpersonal relationship between the humans. Also, it can be defined as the strong bond between parent and child, and later in peer and romantic relationship (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 85). It generates a specific fact that how the humans react in relationships when they get hurt, separated from loved ones and perceiving a threat. Basically the two main types of attachment are secure and insecure. Secure attachment is the attachments where mother and father are available for their child and during that time child demonstrates his or her stress and reestablish the connection (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 87). Insecure attachment is the attachment where parents are not regularly in touch with their children or they ignore their child which built a failed emotion communication (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 87). Also, it may be repeated from one generation to another until it is not recovered. However, as a result of attachment theory, it is so important for children to know about it and there are also several emotional effects on children when their parents leave to go to another county due to their connections or bond between them.

John Bowlby’s Attachment theory is relevant to serial murderers since it looks at the child’s early life experiences, focusing on the bond between the mother and child (Bretherton, 1992). It argues that a break in the bond will lead the child to a life of crime and delinquency. In this paper we will discuss two points. The first point is discussing Aileen’s Wuornos life from childhood to adulthood and the second point is explaining how her life is relevant to Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. We will finally know what happened in Aileen Wuornos’ life that caused her to become one of the most famous female serial killers of all time.

Produced from Ainswroth 's Strange Situation study, were four attachment types. Most children displayed traits of the securely attached type; the ability to play freely with their mother present, show some distress when their mother leaves and appears happy when she reappears. Insecure avoidant types paid little or no attention to their mother and seemed unaffected by her absence and arrival. In contrast to this, insecure ambivalent/resistant types were clinging

In the first scenario of the Strange Situation, the 18 month old toddler (Sam) exhibits secure attachment. Sam’s exploratory tendencies are characteristic of secure attachment. It is a sign of trust and reassurance when the toddler looks back at his mother. He is looking for approval during his explorations. These qualities are important in secure attachment because it shows that the toddler trusts the primary attachment figure. Sam also becomes visibly upset when the mother is removed from the situation, and happy when she enters again. His reaction from sad and fussy to relaxed and happy upon the arrival of the mother is also characteristic of secure attachment. In secure attachment, the children are more likely to grow

The attachment theory gives an outlook explanation of how a parent- child relationship develops and influences the developmental stages through the infant’s growth. The most important stage of infant attachment is in the early years, which cannot be overstated; this affects the nurture abilities of the parents to present responsiveness to their child. Ainsworth and Bowlby (1969) illustrated that attachment was an emotional bond, which connected one person to another across time and space. They also believed that attachment was characterised by specific behaviours, which are known in children. These behaviours are perceived when the child is seeking proximity towards an attachment figure when they are feeling upset or even threatened.

The attachment theory was created by John Bowlby and later expanded by Mary Ainsworth (Dunham, 2017). This theory explains how a bond of affection that is formed between an infant and their caregiver, usually their mother, will go on to shape the relationships that they will have later on in life (Dunham, 2017). Bowlby believed that in order for an infant to form a secure attachment, the mother needs to be completely attuned to the infant’s needs (Schore & Schore, 2012). He also believed that how the caregiver responded to the infant would determine the nature of the attachment. Ainsworth would go on to define the three types of attachment. The first attachment is the secure attachment, the second is the anxious-avoidant attachment, and lastly is the anxious-resistant attachment (Dunham, 2017). Researchers would later add a fourth attachment, the disorganized attachment (Dunham, 2017). A disorganized attachment is usually formed when a caregiver is abusive (Dunham, 2017). An anxious-resistant attachment is an insecure attachment that is formed when the caregiver is inconsistent and unpredictable (Dunham, 2017). An anxious-avoidant attachment is another insecure attachment, in this case the child has learned not to depend on anyone (Dunham, 2017). Finally, a secure attachment is when the child knows they can rely on their caregiver to meet their needs (Dunham, 2017).

Attachment theory is understood by a deep bond that connects one person to another. Attachment is characterized by specific behaviuors in children, such as seeking aid from the attachment figure when feeling apprehensive or fearful. Attachment theory originated with the work of John Bowlby (1958). Working in a child guidance clinic in London led him to consider the importance of a child’s relationship with their mothers. John Bowlby working along side James Robertson (1952) revealed children experience intense anxiety and stress when separated from their mother.

* Attachment theory was extended to adults in late 80s by (Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver)

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

John Bowlby, who originally developed the theory of attachment, describes it as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Somerville, 2009). Furthermore, there are four main characteristic of infant attachment, proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base, and separation distress. Proximity maintenance is the desire to stay close to the people we have formed an attachment. Safe haven refers to the action of returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety when danger or fear is present. A secure base is a place where the attachment figure acts as a base of security from which a child can explore the surrounding world. Separation distress is the anxiety that occurs when the attachment figure is absent (Cherry, 2011).

As humans, building relationships between others is a form of connecting and communicating. It is a social situation that is experienced every day through the course of a lifetime. The initial relationship that is made is between the mother and the child. This bond that connects two people is known to be called attachment. The theory of attachment begins at birth, and from that, continuing on to other relationships in family, friends, and romance. Attachment is taught through social experiences, however the relationship with the mother and her temperament are the key factors in shaping the infants attachment type, which

Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1982) was based on the observation that humans have an innate motivation to seek close relationships from friends and families in times of need or distress. Granqvist, Mikulincer, and Shaver (2010) examine religion from an attachment perspective, arguing that people seek to have a relationship with God for the same reasons children seek a relationship with their parents. In general, people believe their God is protecting, always accessible, loving, comforting, especially when faced with hardship or a physical threat – all qualities that securely attached children seek from their parents (Granqvist, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2010). Laurin, Schumann, and Holmes (2014) conducted four studies investigating associations between attachment theory and religion. In the