Infant Observation: Attachment Theory

Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Introduction.. 1

References. 3

 

Abstract

Introduction

            Attachment is the bond of tie between an individual and an attachment figure. Between two adults, attachment can be reciprocal and mutual, on the other hand, between a child and his or her parental or care giving figure, attachment are likely to be asymmetric. The attachment theory explained that the need for safety as well as protection that is paramount in infancy as well as childhood is considered as the basis of the said bond ( 1992).

             said that animals were, in the first place rendered social, and that they feel, as a consequence, uncomfortable when they separated from each other, on the other hand, they feel the other way around when they are together.  The said statement suggest that  may have been the first attachment theorist, but he just focused on the society instead of specific person in the life of an individual and comrades instead of figures ( 1999).  As a result, he became the first person that appreciated the degree where in human social nature may have been the product of strong, directional selection pressure.

            Attachment theory can be considered as the joint work of , by drawing important concepts from ethnology, cybernetics, information processing, developmental psychology as well as psychoanalysts.  is the one that formulated the basic tenets of the theory by revolutionizing the idea regarding the bond or tie of a child to his or her mother, as well as their disruption by their separation, deprivation as well as bereavement. On the other hand,  offers innovative methodology that had helped to made it possible to test some of the ideas of  in empirical ways but also helped to expand the theory that is responsible for some of the new direction of the subject. In addition,  focuses on explaining the existence of attachment figure as a secure base where in an infant can explore the world. Furthermore, she also formulated the concept regarding the maternal sensitivity to the infant signals as well as its role in the development of the infant-mother attachment patterns ( 1992).

             admired the theoretical vision of spent much of his career treading an in intellectual path that  had established first.  developed a grand theory regarding the personality development across the lifespan which is the lifespan. His interest towards the subject of cognitive, emotional as well as behavioral ties that connections of human began with an perceptive observation. He stated that across all human culture, and even several primate species, young and vulnerable infants tend to display a given sequence of reactions that follows after his or her separation from his or her stronger, older and often wiser caregivers. Instantaneously, after the separation, the infant more often protest vehemently, crying, screaming as well as throwing temper tantrums as they reach for their caregivers. According to , the said strong protest during the early phases of absence of the caregiver is an initial strategy that helps to encourage survival, especially in different species with the developmentally immature and highly dependent infants ( 1999). Furthermore, if the loud and persistent protests of the infant fail to retrieve their caregivers, they will soon enter the second stage, which is despair, where in their motor activity slow down and they fall silent. According to  despondency is considered as the logical second strategy that can be used in order to promote survival. Excessive movement for a long periods of time may result in different injuries and damage and their loud protest with movement are likely to draw predators, that’s why if the protest fail to retrieve their caregivers, the next best strategy for survival is to avoid actions that may result to the risk of self-inflicted harm or even predation ( 1999).

            After that stage, infants who are not yet reunited with their caregivers will enter the third and final stage, which is detachment. In this phase the infant begin to continue or resume his or her normal activity in the absence of a caregiver that will lead them to show manner of highly independent and self-reliant. According to the main function of detachment is to clear or remove away all the formed affectional relationship in order to give way with the new and potential caregivers ( 1999).

Ainsworth focuses on the security theory that stated that the infant and young children need to develop a secure dependence on their parents before launching out into unfamiliar situations. In her study about the evaluation of Adjustment Based Upon the Concept of Security, she stated that the familial security during the early stages is considered as of a dependent type that helps to form different basis from the individual that can work out gradually, forming new skills as well as interests in other fields. When the familial security is lacking, the individual is handicapped by the lack of what might call as secure base italics added from which to work ( 1992).

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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