attachment theory was first proposed by John Bowlby but was further expanded on and confirmed by Mary D. Salter Ainsworth (Andrews, 2010).
British psychiatrist, John Bowlby, theorized that infants saw their parents as their safe and secure cornerstone; that these individuals in their life would always be there to protect them. Bowlby’s theory stated that there are several actions an infant performs that increase their likelihood of survival. The action of an infant smiling, crying and adhering to their parent and the reaction and the dependability of the parent to react that creates the attachment. It is this attachment that Bowlby proposed could affect the infant’s future interactions with others (Andrews, 2010).
If the parent is a caring, loving, trustworthy individual the infant internalizes this behavior and will mimic this behavior as they grow older. Sadly if the parent is uncaring, unsupportive and untrustworthy the infant also internalizes this and the result is a behavior of uncaring and unsupportive as they grow older. However, these behaviors may later change if the infant’s environment changes to more loving or contra wise less loving environment.
Bowlby’s theory was later established by American psychologist Mary Ainsworth. Ainsworth developed a study that showed the response of infants that were left alone to play for a period of time and the parents return (Darity, 2008).
The Term Paper on Bowlby’s attachment theory
This essay will describe and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment and maternal deprivation hypothesis. The essay will describe the two theories, weighing up the strengths and the weaknesses. It will include supporting research by Shaffer and Emerson, Ainsworth and Harlow, along with criticisms by Rutter. John Bowlby (1907-1990) was a child psychiatrist. He was psychoanalytically and medically ...
It was the response of the infants that lead Ainsworth to suggest there are three different patterns to infant attachment. The patterns proposed by Ainsworth are as follows: secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-ambivalent (Darity, 2008).
The study showed that infants who have a secure bond with their parents would feel distressed upon the parents leaving but would enthusiastically return to their parents upon their reunion. The infants with an insecure-avoidant bond would avoid interaction with the parents upon their return and seems to ignore them completely. And the final pattern set forth by Ainsworth, insecure-ambivalent, showed the infants feeling less secure about their parents return, and in fact they showed aggression or anger towards their parents. Later Mary Main and Judith Solomon (Darity, 2008) recognized a fourth pattern. Main and Solomon contend that the fourth pattern not previously recognized would be insecure-disorganized. In an insecure-disorganized pattern the children have characteristics of unsettled and scared of their parents.
They go on to say that this pattern isdeveloped generally as a result of an abusive parent or care giver (Darity, 2008).
This abuse creates the environment of an infant feeling unwelcome or unloved. These patterns of attachment have been attributed to later psychosocial disorders in adulthood (Andrews, 2010).
It has been surmised that infants with insecure-ambivalent and insecure-avoidant patterns show signs of depression in later life. The most severe of all the patterns, the newest pattern of insecure-disorganized, is the least stable personality. The infant with this pattern of attachment generally shows the most severe behavioral and emotional problems later in life. Since attachment theory was first recognized by John Bowlby, it has garnered much review and has been expanded upon by many. His theory of attachment goes beyond infants and has been a good predictor of adolescent and adult behavior. All of the patterns recognized, be it by Bowlby, Ainsworth, Main or Solomon, contribute to how a child recognizes and react to situations in their life. And with continued research on this theory it is helping to identify psychosocial disorders later in life.
References
Andrews, Linda Wasmer. 2010. Encyclopedia of Depression. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, CA: Greendwood Press p. 45-47. Darity, William A. 2008. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Vol. 1. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA p. 195-197.
The Essay on Parents Attachment Style Subjects Study Section
In this paper, I will summarize the article I read, The Association Between Parental Reports of Attachment Style and Family Dynamics, and Offspring's Reports of Adult Attachment Style. In the summary, section I will include the purpose of this study, the descriptions of the subjects involved, study design, and my key findings. In section II, I will reflect on one finding that I have explained in ...
