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Why is attachment in early years important to research
Parenting influence child development
Why is attachment in early years important to research
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My opinion on John Bowlby’s theory after doing some research into other theorists such as Bronfenbrenner is that his theory is one sides as he bases it on attachment for just the parent in relation to an attachment meanwhile Bronfenbrenner looks into the attachment process more as a whole and then disagreed with Bowlby’s theory of a child only having one attachment which is the parent of the child. I think that Bowlby’s theory is good although I don’t think that it works with all children as children have different upbringings and form relationships in different ways.
John Bowlby claims that attachments that a child has with a mother is different to any relationship the child would have from anyone for example; key workers, friends and other relatives. Schaffer and Emerson argues that children can have a primary attachment to anyone however Bowlby argues back that infants have a
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In relation to transiting into a day nursery I agree with Bowlby’s theory because a positive aspect of his theory is that children would feel more confident and comfortable going into the nursery knowing he has an attachment there which could make it easier when the child’s parents are dropping him off at the nursery, although in order for this to happen you would need to ensure that the child gains an attachment for his key worker in the setting. However by a child having an attachment to his keyworker it could have a mixture of positive and negative impacts on the child for example; the key worker might miss some days off work to go on holiday or for general illness. If the child has formed a strong attachment with the keyworker this could cause the child to feel distressed and abundant but if you form a too close bond with the child then the child’s parents may get jealous and think that you’re taking their place in the child’s life and move the child to a different nursery out of
Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The pioneers of Attachment Theory realized early on that human beings are not solely influenced by drives but that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers greatly impact their ability to forge lasting relationships later in life. John Bowlby was first to introduce this theory to the masses in the 1950’s, and later Mary Ainsworth conducted further research to expand on Bowlby’s theory which proclaims that attachment is a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). The attachment bond theory by both Bowlby and Ainsworth focuses on the significance of the relationship between babies and their caretakers which research has suggested is accountable for influencing impending interactions, firming or injuring our capabilities to concentrate, being aware of our emotional states, self-soothing capabilities, and the capacity to be resilient in the face of hardship. Additionally, this research has provided a framework for assisting in describing these att...
John Bowlby and Maternal Deprivation Bowlby believed that maternal behaviour was instinctive in humans as it appears to be in animals. Mothers and their babies form an instinctive attachment to each other using genetically inherited skills such as smiling, grasping, crying and so on. If a separation occurs between mother and infant within the first few years of the child’s life, Bowlby believed that the bond would be irreversibly broken, leading to severe emotional consequences for the infant in later life. He referred to this as maternal deprivation. Bowlby claimed that maternal deprivation had the following consequences: 1.
In conclusion to transitions, many people would believe and follow Bowlby's attachment theory as I believe that if children do not have strong positive relationships with their primary care giver from birth, then they will be unable to form relationships smoothly in the future. However, an alternative view to this is Bronfen Brenner's model that states that it is not just about the support and relationships a child or young person has from their family, it is a balance of nature and nurture and believed that the child is surrounded by four concentric circles which each represent a different factor that influences and the child. The first circles work from the inside out, the first is the 'Microsystem' which represents the child's immediate family and surroundings which would be the main support and relationships.
I feel Bowlby’s theory of attachment is really important in relation to supporting children through transitions. I think this because during the time I have spent in placements I have seen children bound more with a certain practitioner this is more than often their key person. Bowlby believed that ‘early attachments was very important’ (Meggitt.C et al, 2011, p80) the first ever attachment will be made within the first few months of being born. This will normally be with a parent or guardian e.g. mother, grandad. When this attachment is formed the child knows that its basic need such as shelter, food, warmth etc. Bowlby felt that if the child and attachment is separated for a short while within the first few years of its life then it could produce long term and irreversible negative effects on the child’s social, emotional and cognitive development. If this is the case placing children in a day care setting would be damaging for the children. This is why it is good to have a key person so that when they are away from their first attachment they have another attachment to a practitioner in a setting.
The influence of Bowlby’s attachment theory is relevant when dealing with transitions because it has informed people and practitioners about the importance of attachment and the key worker system. Bowlby’s attachment theory evolved to ensure children are protected and for their survival to be increased. Bowlby believed that a child’s first attachment is built quite early on and is normally formed with the mother. This relationship between the mother and the baby is the template for relationships in the future. It provides the child with an internal working model. If the child’s first attachment doesn’t have a positive effect then this can result in the child finding it difficult to form other attachments with practitioners, family members and friends. If the first attachment is secure and strong the child will be able to build relationships with other people without having a problem. According to Bowlby the cognitive development of the child is affected when early attachment is formed because it provides a secure base for exploration. Although Bowlby’s theory has a lot of positive aspects other theorists have research that disagrees with his work. Schaffer & Emerson
Criticisms of attachment theory have come mainly from the feminist schools of thought since the theory has been used to argue that no woman with a young child should work outside the home or spend time away from her baby (Goodsell and Meldrum, 2010). Children’s experience and development also depend on what happens after early years, whether bad or good later in life may change a child’s emotional development, e.g. lack of basic needs, diet, education, stimulation such as play might affect a child’s development (Rutter, 1981) Difference in cultures have to be taken into consideration as well. A study by Schaffer and Emmerson (1964) provided contradictory evidence from Bowlby’s attachment theory. They noted attachment was more prominent at eight months, and afterwards children became attached to more than one person. By one year six months only 13%of infants had one attachment. This study by Schafer and Emmerson (1964) concluded care giver can be male or female and mothering can be a shared responsibility. Social workers should therefore understand that parents are not totally responsible for the way the children develop. They did give them their genes and therefore do have some influence. Attachment theory also fails to consider the fact that the father and siblings, and other close relatives can also
An infant’s initial contact with the world and their exploration of life is directly through the parent/ primary caregiver. As the child grows, learns, and develops, a certain attachment relationship forms between them and the principle adult present in this process. Moreover, this attachment holds huge implications concerning the child’s future relationships and social successes. Children trust that their parental figure will be there; as a result, children whom form proper attachments internalize an image of their world as stable, safe, and secure. These children will grow independent while at the same time maintaining a connection with their caregivers. (Day, 2006). However, when a child f...
Give a description of how the nursery should respect the children’s need for attachment and bonding and justify your ideas by referencing current theory. Pioneers such as Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Schaffer and Emerson and contemporary theorists such as Rutter should be
John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure, insecure/resistant, insecure/avoidant and disorganized/disoriented, later leading to research studies done to observe this behavior and how it affects a child in their adolescence and adulthood.
Bowlby 's attachment theory is used a lot in settings as children gain strong bonds with the teachers and key workers in the setting. Having a secure attachment in the setting can have a variety of positive or negative impacts on the child depending on how emotionally attached they are. A strength of the attachment theory is that by children gaining attachment with their key worker it can help the practitioner support the child and meet their needs in the setting. By a child having an attachment to their key worker it can help their development as they are more engaged with the staff. Again research has shown that the quality of a child’s learning and the development of resilience can depend on the quality of their relationships both with their
Attachment theory is the idea that a child needs to form a close relationship with at least one primary caregiver. The theory proved that attachment is necessary to ensure successful social and emotional development in an infant. It is critical for this to occur in the child’s early infant years. However, failed to prove that this nurturing can only be given by a mother (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Many aspects of this theory grew out of psychoanalyst, John Bowlby’s research. There are several other factors that needed to be taken into account before the social worker reached a conclusion; such as issues surrounding poverty, social class and temperament. These factors, as well as an explanation of insecure attachment will be further explored in this paper.
There is evidence from other theorists who support Bowlby’s theory of attachment such as Harlow whose approach is based upon a caregiver’s sensitivity and attachment. Ainsworth is another theorist whose research supports Bowlby’s theory of attachment. In her strange situation study, she tested for the attachment types and what effects they had on a child’s behaviour. “Ainsworth and Witting (1969) devised the strange situation to be able to test the nature of attachment systematically” Cardwell, M. et.al (2000). They found three attachment types, secure attachment, insecure-avoidant and insecure –resistant. They found that the different attachments had different effects on a child’s behaviour. Bowlby’s theory talks about having a secure base whi...
Attachment is an important aspect through the developmental stages of a child. It is the process through which an individual develops specific bonds with others (). John Bowlby theorized Attachment Theory, which focuses on a behavioral system that demonstrates the response of an adult when a child signals which can lead to a strong trusting relationship (). Through attachment infants develop strong emotional bonds with others, which can result in a more positive outcome later in life.
Several theoretical perspectives on emotional well being came to the open so as to further illustrate on how to understand the emotional well being of a child and how to deal the process of developing a quality life on children. John Bowlby deals with the theory of attachment; he believed that babies should have a strong foundation that will be started from the mother in the first year of life. He stated that there will be serious effects if the baby will be separated from the mother at early life. He even wrote a letter during the Second World War relating to the protection of the children who were being evacuated and separated from their parents and will be given to foster parents until the war will be over. A colleague of Bowlby, Mary
A number of studies focused on the mother- infant relationship and the effect of child care on the development of such relationship (Belsky, 1989; Lamb, Sternberg, & Prodromidis, 1992). Attachment theory indicates that a secure relation formation between child and caregiver is important for the child to develop flexible behavioural system and adapt easily to new situations. Bowlby (quoted by Lamb, Sternberg, & Prodromidis) summarised that attachments form around middle of the first year and are strengthened later in the year. It comes as no surprise that studies done by Barglow, Vaughn, & Molitor (1987); Belsky & Rovine (1988); Vaughn, Gove, & Egeland, (1980) , as quoted by Egeland & Heister (1995), reported that entry of infants before 12 months of age to child day care is linked to increased risk of insecure-avoidant attachment. Assessments were based on Ainsworth’s Strange Situation (Ainswoth, Blehar, Water, & Wall, 1978) to measure the infant-mother attachment. While these children might not reject attention from parents, they also did not seek comfort, showing no preference between a parent and a complete stranger.