Development of Secure and Insecure Attachments in Children

Disscussion on research associated with the development of secure and insecure attachments in children THE INTRODUCTION During the past fifty years much research has been carried out on the secure and insecure attachments for children. Many reaserchers have been particularly interested in the relationship between secure and insecure attachments in the child`s development , and what bearings it has on the child`s emotional , social and psychophysical well being ( Erikson, 1963; Bowlby, 1958; Ainsworth et.al, 1978). This essay atempts to look at some of the attachment theories and researches that have been proposed by some well known psychologists. THE THEME Attachment relationship is an emotional bond that is†¦show more content†¦el, 1978). His ` attachment theory† is largely focused on the infant’s and their caregiver’s affectional ties and the development of such bonding as well as the cognitive structures involved in the later development of such ties and how they are maintained over time. In opposition to Sigmund Freud (Freud, 1939) who suggested that as long as the infant is fed by its caregiver it would naturally develop an affectional tie to his caregiver. Bowlby proposed a different approach to this by suggesting that infants have certain natural sets of behaviours that have derived over the course of human evolution, and thus it makes them seek certain levels of proximity to their caregiver. Naturally they need to stay close to the caregiver, thus feeling protected from the possible dangers that might arise which would give them a better chance of survival. He also suggested that these kinds of behaviours are genetically passed over from one generation to another. Attachment relationships develop gradually from the time of birth and for the first 2 years of the infant’s life. There are 4 developmental stages ( Aisworth et.al, 1978; Scafler, 1996 ). Stage 1 - first 2 month of an infant’s life when an infant doesn’t show much preference to any particular person. It is called â€Å"The pre-attachment† phase. The second phase runs from 2-7 month of age when an infant begins to know the differenceShow MoreRelatedAttachment During Infancy And Early Childhood1430 Words   |  6 PagesAttachment during infancy and early childhood is extremely important for proper brain development. Whether or not a child grows into a successful adult nearly depends on them forming a secure attachment. Attachment happens when a child feels safe, secure, and protected by their caregiver at all times. demands of an infant or child can be anything from being hungry, being cold, needing to be changed, to just wanting to be held or played with. 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