-
Essay / Role of attachment in a child's development: analysis of Bowlby's and Ainsworth's theories
All individuals differ based on the way they process information in their environment. The processing of this information may be influenced by their social environment which includes their parents, siblings, friends or teachers. These relationships in the social environment are vital during human development because they have an emotional and social impact on an individual (Bowlby, 1973). Over time, researchers have spent time establishing the factors correlated with individual differences in social information processing. These differences within individuals are thought to be a product of the type of relationship one has with other individuals in the environment. This essay will evaluate the evidence provided to explain how attachments in early childhood influence information about relationships and adulthood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay One of the most important theories developed to enlighten us in understanding attachment was the attachment theory proposed by Bowlby (1969/1982/ 1973, 1980, 1988), this theory grew out of the idea that social information processing is directly influenced by how individuals perceived their personal experiences within their close relationships. His main hypothesis was that humans were built with an internal working model which, in other words, is a mental image of the relationship we have with our primary caregiver (usually a parent), which becomes almost like a model of our future relationships. Although the internal working model operates on the basis of attachment experiences, these can be either insecure or secure. This means that the model can cause adaptive or maladaptive information processing depending on the initial attachments established. In reference to attachment theory, infants are biologically susceptible to forming attachments with the primary caregiver. This is the most crucial attachment because the attachment between the caregiver and the infant determines possible future outcomes. This type of attachment is created only because the caregiver is known to provide for the infant in a substantial way to meet his or her survival and safety needs. For example, feeding the baby helps him survive and comforting him when he cries is a way of showing affection; these things are vital for an infant's development. A supporting statement from Bretherton and Munholland (1999, 2008) stated that the internal working model of attachment is consistent with ongoing research in cognitive neuroscience as well as social cognition. For example, Gallese (2005) supports the idea of "small-scale experiments" and establishes the internal working model as well as a more recent suggestion that neurons allow primates to understand the actions of others via "simulation embodied.” that the model aligns with theories of social cognition regarding the development of internal representations from social experiences. During the study of 44 thieves, Bowlby aimed to explore whether maternal deprivation had a long-term effect on individuals and to see if the offenders had also suffered from maternal deprivation as it is crucial that the mother maintain a healthy relationship with your child during the early stages of infancy (0 to 2 years), as failure to do so canhave long-term negative effects on the child's social and emotional development over the future. He gathered eighty-eight children through opportunity sampling at a clinic where forty-four of them were thieves. Bowlby found that half of the thieves had been separated from their mothers for more than six months or more in the first five years, suggesting that attachment types could not form properly. Bowlby emphasizes the idea that the attachment we have to our mothers is special and specific and is the most important bond we have; however, Schaffer and Emerson (964) suggested that after eight months, these infants have become attached to several people and that after eighteen months, they have become attached to even more people who may be opposed to monotropy. Additionally, Weisner and Gallimore (977) stated that multiple caregivers, such as friends and neighbors, are involved. This suggests that we may not need to form specific bonds with our mothers to have normal social and emotional development, but that it is necessary to have a positive relationship with a caregiver in general. On the other hand, Bowlby's maternal deprivation is supported by Harlow's monkeys (1958), which illustrate that monkeys raised in isolation experienced social and emotional problems as they grew up. These monkeys failed to form attachments and therefore grew to become more irritated and isolated from other monkeys. This suggests that it is important to have a secure attachment with your child from an early age and that maternal deprivation will impact the child in the near future. Experiments and studies have been conducted, primarily on infants and younger children, to examine the results and study behavior regarding attachments. Due to the use of infants and children, the experiments had to be adapted, therefore observational methods were used. One of the best-known psychologists, Mary Ainsworth et al (1971, 1878), who had previously worked with Bowlby, formulated a method known as the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to study how different children can acquire different types of attachment. After the study, three main types of attachment were established: secure (type B), insecure-avoidant (type A), and insecure-resistant (type C), these attachment styles were the result of initial interactions between the primary person who looked after the child (the mother) and the child. Mary Ainsworth's (1971, 1978) results and conclusions supported and provided quite significant evidence for Bowlby's attachment theory. For example, one of the attachment types established by Ainsworth during his investigation was secure attachment (type B). These children maintain a positive working model toward themselves and others because of the positive relationships fostered with the mother from an early age. Additionally, avoidant and insecure children (Type A) may believe and interpret themselves as less worthy due to a refusal mother who was not as able to meet their children's needs. Finally, insecurity resisters (Type C) have lower self-esteem and typically emphasize their response in emotional ways in order to gain attention and get their needs met. These attachment types are all linked to the working model and the positive relationships are linked through the working model, as are the negative relationships caused by Type C and Type A. The experiment took place in a room normal where the mother was asked to play with her child. child before presenting a..