Secure Attachment in Psychological Theories

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Theoretical explanations of attachment
Strange situation and different attachment patterns
The effects of temperamental, medical, or behavioral characteristics
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The development of attachment in infants has been of considerable interest to psychologists, evolutionary scientists, and educators. Overall, this concept can be defined as a tie or bond which is formed between a child and his/her caregiver (Lightfood, Cole & Cole, 2008, p. 223). This paper is aimed at discussing various theoretical perspectives of attachment. In particular, it will focus on the views of Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, and John Bowlby about its causes and formation. Furthermore, this discussion will focus on such an experimental procedure or paradigm called A Strange Situation. One of the tasks is to examine the effects of temperamental, medical, or behavioral characteristics of a child or parent on the quality of attachment. These are the main issues that have to be addressed.

Theoretical explanations of attachment

Various theories strive to explain the causes of attachment, its formation, or patterns. The first important explanation of attachment was proposed by Sigmund Freud who tried to explain it from a biological perspective. From his point of view, it is caused by biological factors such as thirst, hunger, or state of arousal (Lightfood, Cole & Cole, 2008, p. 223). According to Freud, they urge an infant to develop an attachment to the caregiver, usually his/her mother.

Such an explanation cannot be very plausible because at this point it has not been substantiated by empirical findings (Lightfood, Cole & Cole, 2008, p. 224). Many researchers disagree with the idea that attachment can be reduced to pure physiological mechanisms. Also, this approach cannot account for the changes in the attachment style which may occur as the child grows older. Besides, this explanation does not explain why children can display different attitudes toward their parents.

Another interpretation of attachment was advanced by Erik Erikson. His theory is premised on the idea that children, especially infants tend to trust only those people who regularly take care of their needs (Lightfood, Cole & Cole, 2008, p. 224). The caregiver or parent, who fails to address the infant’s needs, can hardly strengthen a mutual tie with his/her child. Thus, according to Erik Erikson, the responsibility of a caregiver can be the key to the formation of attachment.

This interpretation is more advantageous than Freud’s theory because it can partially explain separation anxiety. It also shows that only biological needs cannot create a bond between an infant and his/her parents. Moreover, Ericson’s interpretation shows how this affection for caregivers evolves with time passing. In particular, the feeling of attachment diminishes as a child becomes more autonomous. Thus, one can say that Erikson tried to bridge biological and psychological interpretations of attachment. The main advantage of the theoretical perspective is that it does not overlook the emotional aspect of attachment.

Further attempts to explain this phenomenon was made by John Bowlby. In his opinion, attachment is dynamic rather than static. He argues that it changes or evolves at various stages of a child’s development. From Bowlby’s standpoint, attachment is based on a child’s safety needs and the desire to explore the world and have new learning experiences (Lightfood, Cole & Cole, 2008, p. 224). This psychologist introduced a very important concept which is called a secure base.

This notion refers to the person who protects the child from external threats and helps him/her in exploring the word. This theory suggests that attachment is also driven by the desire to interact with others and learn more about the environment. As it has been noted before, John Bowlby singles out separate phases of attachment development. These phases show how a reciprocal bond between a child and his/her mother is created. The main difference between this theoretical framework is that Bowlby identifies the cognitive needs of an infant. This is one of his most important contributions.

Overall, this overview of theoretical perspectives suggests that that the child’s feeling of affection or attachment to a caregiver can arise out of physiological factors like hunger or thirst, trust, safety needs, and the desire to have new learning experiences. Attachment varies as the child grows older. Yet, the mechanisms of affection formation still require research.

Strange situation and different attachment patterns

At this point, it is necessary to extend this discussion by describing the experimental paradigm called Strange Situation which was designed by Mary Ainsworth. The main purpose of this experiment is to observe the child’s reaction to a series of reunions and separations (Goldberg, 2000, p. 91). On the whole, it is possible to distinguish various patterns. On the whole, this classification implies that the attachment style of the child depends on the behavior of the caregiver, in other words, his/her mother (Goldberd, 2000, p. 91). Each of these styles is characterized by certain behavior modes.

First, we need to speak about secure attachment or a situation in which an infant feels that the caregiver is ready to assist him/her or protect from danger. The children, who develop such a form of attachment, are more willing to interact with strangers in the presence of their mothers. As a rule, they resist separation and rejoice in reunions (Goldberd, 2000, p. 91). Moreover, these infants are not always distressed when they are separated from their mothers. Such an attachment style is typical of those families in which parents or caregivers are always attentive to the safety or physiological needs of infants.

Another form of attachment can be called resistance or ambivalent. This attachment style implies that the infant does not always receive support from the caregiver (Goldberg, 2000, p. 91). As a rule, such a child is very restless and difficult to console. Separation with caregivers causes them great distress. Moreover, they are not willing to interact with strangers. Such behavior modes suggest that the child’s mother has not been always responsive to his/her needs.

Thirdly, one has to mention anxious-avoidant attachment. It occurs when the mother pays very little attention to the child. The main peculiarity of this attachment style is that there is very little contact or interaction between the infant and the caregiver (Goldberg, 2000, p. 91). In the majority of cases, these children do not become very distressed with the departures of their mothers. Moreover, they do not rejoice over the reunions with mothers. There are major behaviors of these attachment styles. It should be noted that Mary Main identifies at least one more attachment style which is usually called disorganized (Goldberg, 2000, p. 92).

In general, it means that such infants display different attitudes toward their mothers as well as strangers. At this point, it is not clear why some children can choose this behavior mode. It has often been associated with child abuse or neglect (Rutter, 1995, p. 553). However, this hypothesis has yet to be substantiated and on its one cannot judge the parenting skills of a mother.

This classification has several limitations. First of all, one can argue that a child can adhere to various attachment styles. His/her feelings toward a caregiver can alter if the attitude of the caregiver changes. This is one of the reasons why Mary Main introduced the fourth attachment style which is very widespread. Another limitation of this method is that it attaches great importance to the caregiver’s behavior while overlooking the character traits of the child. The thing is that the infant’s anxieties can be ascribed to mood disorders rather than the mother’s inefficiency or unwillingness to take care of him/her. Finally, this classification does not allow researchers to measure attachment by quantitative means.

The effects of temperamental, medical, or behavioral characteristics

In the previous section, we have pointed out that the psychological peculiarities of a child can influence affection. At first, one can discuss the medical conditions of a child. For instance, the research indicates that infants with congenital heart disease tend to display higher levels of anxiety or distress (Goldberg, 2000, p 93). They are more likely to choose an avoidant or anxious attachment style. Hence, parents of such children must be much more responsive to their child’s needs. The same argument can be applied to children with fibrosis. Hence, the mothers of such children have to possess great parenting skills to form an attachment with them.

Secondly, one should not forget about the temperamental characteristics of a child or his/her mother. For instance, a child, whose mother is very quick-tempered or irritable, can become avoidant because for him/her the caregiver is unpredictable. Similarly, a child’s temperament can also shape his/her relations with the caregiver. For example, an introvert infant is more likely to be avoidant (Rutter, 1995, p. 554). Besides, one should also have to consider such a criterion as a threshold of responsiveness. Moreover, parents should remember that angry outbursts can break the bonds between them and the child.

Furthermore, the child’s attachment to the mother is also affected by some inherent behavior traits such as emotional openness or sociability. They are equally important for caregivers and infants (Rutter, 1995, p. 560). For instance, a person, who is more willing and able to interact with others, is more likely to win the trust of his/her child. Under such circumstances, the infant will feel more secure and open to the caregiver.

Conclusion

Overall, several important ideas can be derived from this discussion. First, as it has been said before affection originates from safety and physiological needs, willingness to explore the world, and trust. Secondly, the affection style of an infant can be determined by the parental skills of the mother or any other caregiver and many temperamental traits. The existing theoretical interpretations and experimental methods can help us predict the development of a child’s affection for his/her mother. Moreover, they can even tell how to eliminate negative factors. However, these methods still have to be elaborated.

On the whole, the causes of affection and its evolution are still a subject of in-depth research conducted by developmental and cognitive psychologists. Such studies can have theoretical and practical implications.

Reference List

Goldberg, S. (2000). Attachment, Parental Behavior, and Early Development in Infants. In Goldberg, S., Muir R. & Kerr. Attachment theory: social, developmental, and clinical perspectives (pp 90-100). New York: Routledge.

Lightfoot, C.,Cole M. & R Cole S. (2008). The development of children. New York: Worth Publishers.

Rutter, M. (1995). Clinical implications of attachment concepts: retrospect and prospect. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, And Allied Disciplines, 36(4), 549-571.

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