Introduction to the Development of Attachment
Welcome! In this chapter, we are exploring one of the most vital parts of growing up: attachment. Have you ever wondered why babies cry when their parents leave the room, or why they prefer some people over others? This isn't just "being a baby"—it is the foundation of human social behavior. We will look at how these emotional bonds form, what happens when they don't, and how we can use this knowledge to create better environments for children.
Background: How Attachment Develops
In psychology, attachment is defined as a strong, enduring, emotional tie between two people (usually an infant and their primary caregiver). It is reciprocal, meaning it flows both ways—the baby is attached to the parent, and the parent is attached to the baby.
The Purpose of Attachment
Why do we bother attaching? Psychologists suggest it serves a few main purposes:
• Survival: Keeping the baby close to a protector who provides food and safety.
• Secure Base: Giving the child a "home base" from which they feel brave enough to explore the world.
• Internal Working Model: This is like a mental "blueprint." If your first attachment is healthy, you grow up believing relationships are safe and reliable.
The Impact of Failure to Develop Attachments
What happens if a child doesn't form a bond? This is often discussed in two ways:
1. Deprivation: The child has an attachment, but it is broken (e.g., a long hospital stay or a parent leaving).
2. Privation: The child never forms an attachment in the first place (e.g., in some poor-quality institutional care).
Potential consequences of attachment failure include:
• Social issues: Difficulty forming friendships or "affectionless psychopathy" (a lack of empathy for others).
• Cognitive issues: Delays in intellectual development or lower IQ.
• Physical issues: In extreme cases, "deprivation dwarfism" where physical growth is stunted due to emotional stress.
Quick Summary: Attachment is a survival mechanism. If it goes wrong, it can affect a person's emotions, intelligence, and future relationships.
Key Research: Ainsworth and Bell (1970)
The most famous study in this area is Ainsworth and Bell (1970), titled "Attachment, exploration and separation: one-year-olds in a strange situation." This study aimed to observe how babies behave under conditions of mild stress to see how they use their caregiver as a "secure base."
The Procedure: The "Strange Situation"
The researchers used a controlled observation in a laboratory. The room was set up with toys, and the procedure involved 8 episodes (each lasting about 3 minutes):
1. Mother and baby enter the room.
2. Baby explores the room and toys (Mother is present).
3. A stranger enters, talks to the mother, and approaches the baby.
4. First Separation: Mother leaves. The stranger is alone with the baby.
5. First Reunion: Mother returns and the stranger leaves.
6. Second Separation: Mother leaves. The baby is alone.
7. The stranger returns and tries to comfort the baby.
8. Second Reunion: Mother returns and the stranger leaves.
What were they looking for?
Observers watched for four specific behaviors:
• Proximity seeking: Does the baby stay close to the mom?
• Exploration/Secure base: Does the baby feel safe enough to play?
• Stranger anxiety: How does the baby react to the new person?
• Separation anxiety: How does the baby react when mom leaves?
• Reunion behavior: How does the baby act when mom comes back?
The Findings: Three Attachment Types
Based on the 100 middle-class American infants studied, Ainsworth identified three main patterns:
1. Secure Attachment (Type B - approx. 70%): These babies explored happily but checked back with mom. They were upset when she left but were easily calmed and happy when she returned.
2. Insecure-Avoidant (Type A - approx. 15%): These babies didn't seek proximity much. They weren't very bothered when mom left and didn't make much effort to contact her when she returned. They treated the stranger much like the mother.
3. Insecure-Resistant (Type C - approx. 15%): These babies were very "clingy." They were extremely distressed when mom left, but when she returned, they seemed angry—seeking contact but then pushing her away or kicking.
Conclusion
Ainsworth concluded that attachment types are determined by the caregiver's sensitivity. Mothers who respond quickly and correctly to their baby's needs tend to have securely attached children.
Key Takeaway: The Strange Situation is a standardized way to measure attachment. Most children are securely attached, using their parent as a safe base to explore the world.
Evaluation of Ainsworth and Bell
When you're writing about this in the exam, remember to evaluate the research:
• Reliability: The study is highly standardized. Because every baby goes through the exact same 8 episodes, the study is easy to repeat and find the same results.
• Validity: Some argue it lacks ecological validity because it happens in a lab (a "strange" place), which might make the baby act differently than they would at home.
• Ethnocentrism: The original sample was 100 middle-class Americans. Attachment might look different in other cultures (e.g., in Germany or Japan), so we must be careful about generalizing.
Application: Creating an Attachment-Friendly Environment
How do we use this science in the real world? We use it to make sure places like nurseries, hospitals, and foster care systems support healthy bonds. One primary strategy is the Key Person Approach.
The Key Person Approach in Daycare
In many modern nurseries, each child is assigned a specific "Key Person." This person is the main point of contact for the child and the parents.
How it works:
• Consistency: The key person handles the child's most personal needs (feeding, changing, comforting). This allows a reciprocal bond to form, mimicking the parent-child relationship.
• Settling-in: When a child starts nursery, the key person works closely with the parent to make the transition smooth, reducing separation anxiety.
• Better observation: Because the key person knows the child well, they can spot if the child is unhappy or developing strangely much faster than a revolving door of staff could.
Why this matters
By creating an attachment-friendly environment, we reduce the risk of attachment failure. If a child feels secure at nursery, they are more likely to explore, learn, and develop healthy social skills that last a lifetime.
Quick Review:
• Who? Ainsworth and Bell (1970).
• What? The Strange Situation (8 episodes).
• Results? Secure, Insecure-Avoidant, and Insecure-Resistant.
• Application? Key Person Approach in nurseries to provide a "secure base."
Note: For more on how children develop, you might want to look at "Cognitive development and education" or "Pre-adult brain development" in the same section!