Attachment Theory And Attachment Theory

The Attachment theory is the both the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Stresses the significance of "Attachment" as to self-improvement. In other words, attachment is a biological and evolutionary system that forms close bonds between the child and caregiver, particularly during times of stress or threat, that helps increase the odds of survival by ensuring parental caregiving and protection. Within the attachment behavioral system, Bowlby theorized that there are four phases of development that typically unfold during the infants first year of existence In particular, it makes the claim that the capacity for a person to shape an enthusiastic and physical "connection" to someone else gives a feeling of solidness and security important

Adolescents Form Attachments with Peers as a child reaches adolescence, they tend to depart away from the attachment relationships with any parental type figure. Attachment bonds between parents and adolescents are treated by many adolescents more like ties that restrain than like ties that anchor and secure, and a key task of adolescence is to develop autonomy so as no longer to need to rely on parents ' support when making one 's way through the world. A way of seeking independence from the parents is to rely more on peers as attachment figures. Eventually, adolescents will form long-term relationships with their peers that may be of the romantic kind, which may become full attachment relationships. These relationships are formed not only because of the need for attachment, but also for the need of species survival. Not everyone has such an easy time transforming their attachment behaviors from their parents to their peers. These adolescents have little confidence that their attachment relationships will last when there are disagreements or problems, so they tend to avoid the problems

Specific Attachment (7 - 9 months) Special preference for a single attachment figure. The baby looks to particular people for security, comfort and protection. It shows fear of strangers (stranger fear) and unhappiness when separated from a special person (separation anxiety).
Some babies show stranger fear and separation anxiety much more frequently and intensely than others, but nevertheless they are seen as evidence that the baby has formed an attachment. This has usually developed by one year of age.
c. Multiple Attachment (10 months and onwards) The baby becomes increasingly independent and forms several attachments. By 18 months the majority of infants have form multiple attachments. The results of the study indicated that attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby 's signals, not the person they spent more time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this sensitive responsiveness.”

McLeod, S. A. (2009). Attachment Theory. Retrieved from