Originally written April 14, 2012
As the famous Harlow experiment
with the rhesus monkeys tells us, attachment is as vital to survival and
healthy development as food and water.
Scientific research on caregiver and child relationships shows that two
primary types of attachments can form: secure attachments and insecure
attachments. Secure attachment is
considered healthy attachment, and insecure attachment is associated with
psychological, emotional and behavioral problems. The following paper discusses the components
of healthy/secure attachment, the importance of the healthy bonds of attachment
in infants and toddlers, analyzes the ethological theory of attachment, and
outlines insights and suggestions of how parents and caregivers can foster the
healthy bonds of attachment with their children.
Components of Healthy Attachment
Healthy, secure attachment is
characterized by a few key components: children who are securely attached
respond positively in their interactions with parents, and upon being reunited
with parents after leave-takings; they greet their parents actively and
positively and exhibit mild distress when parents leave; they readily explore
their environment, secure that parents are close by; they seek contact with
parents when upset and trust in their parents' appropriate responses to them
(Rathus, p. 115-117). Although secure
attachment can be more readily observed by a child’s reactions to the absence and
return of a parent, the healthy bonds of attachment permeate all areas of
infant and toddler behavior. “Securely
attached infants and toddlers are happier, more sociable, and more cooperative
with caregivers (Rathus, p. 117).”
The Importance of Healthy Attachment
“That most babies are no longer in
danger of instant death from predators matters little; a strong mother-baby
bond, properly called attachment, will always be needed to keep babies safe,
physically and psychologically, and will remain a part of our evolutionary
heritage destined never to change (Heller, p. 55). Freud believed that the quality of early
attachment with the mother provided the basis for all other attachment
relationships to follow in a child’s life, and Erikson believed that secure
attachment in the first year of life is critical for ensuring a sense of trust
in the mother, which is essential for healthy social and emotional
development. In fact, all studies on
attachment show that children who are securely attached fare better in all
aspects of life than children who display insecure attachment. Perhaps this is because “the quality of this
early dyadic communication has an impact on the infant’s growing view of
himself and of his world as he enters toddlerhood and beyond (Tolan &
Tomasini, p. 10).” Children who are
secure in their attachments more freely explore their environment and are able
to learn with confidence, tend to be more popular with peers and exhibit more
positive social interaction with other kids, tend to be more emotionally stable
and able to express and manage their feelings well, demonstrate greater ability
to handle stress and help others handle stress.
The Ethological Theory of Attachment
Although the psychoanalytic theory
of attachment has its appeal and I agree with Erikson’s view that attachment
builds trust, which is essential to healthy social and emotional development,
the ethological theory of attachment more closely integrates with my own views
of attachment. I believe that this is in
part because I believe that the emotional realm is also tied to biology, Mother
Nature’s realm. And Mother Nature and
evolution have refined what works for optimal survival and well-being in all
animals, including humans. “Ethologists
note that for many animals, attachment is an inborn or instinctive response to
a specific stimulus (Rathus, p. 119).”
Bowlby, “defines attachment behavior as behavior that has proximity to
an attachment figure as a predictable outcome and whose evolutionary function
is protection of the infant from danger, insisting that attachment has its own
motivation and is in no way derived from systems subserving mating and feeding
(Bretherton, p. 20).” So indeed, it may
be true that part of the attachment equation is embedded in our genetic code,
but it would follow that human, as the thinking species, would also need to
develop conscious behaviors to support this instinct. Mother Nature was right to set the stage for
strong attachment. “the strength of character
of our first relationship reverberates in our later relationships. When things go well, we’ve a better chance
for development to run smoothly: to learn to love ourselves and other people,
to elicit good feelings from others, and to weather setbacks (Heller, p.
56).”
Fostering Healthy Attachment
Given the vital importance of
attachment, it would follow that parents and caregivers who want their children
to thrive would seek to form close, strong and enduring bonds of
attachment. It is not enough to simply attend
to children’s basic needs. “Institutionalized
children whose material needs are met but who receive little social stimulation
from caregivers encounter problems in all areas of development (Rathus, p.
121).” It is necessary to be present
with the child, to listen to the child, to get to know their cues and respond
to them with adequate urgency. This is
especially important when children are crying and upset. Ignoring a child’s cries or letting them “cry
it out” is a surefire way to derail healthy attachment. “It turned out that secure attachment was
significantly correlated with maternal sensitivity. Babies of sensitive mothers tended to be
securely attached, whereas babies of less sensitive mothers were more likely to
be classified as insecure. Mothers’ enjoyment of breast-feeding also correlated
with infant security (Bretherton, p. 15).”
Parents must go beyond feeding and diapering and stimulate all of their
children’s senses in a caring and nurturing manner, especially touch, which is
extremely sensitive in babies. This
includes cuddling with baby, rocking with baby, talking to baby, singing to
baby, playing with baby, smiling and laughing at and with baby, and enjoying
breastfeeding as the first choice for feeding baby if the mother is able.
Conclusion
As seen above, healthy attachment
is reflected in the happy, well-adjusted child, who will likely to grow up to
be a happy, well adjusted adult. The
importance of this healthy attachment is underscored by the myriad of problems
that can arise when attachment fails, and that the ethological theory of
attachment posits that we not only benefit from secure attachment but that we
are biologically and evolutionarily programmed for it. Further, it is important to note that parents
can consciously affect their attachment relationships with their children by
making an effort to be sensitive, perceptive, caring, and nurturing in all
their interactions together.
References
Bretherton, I. (1992) The origins of attachment theory: John
Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Developmental
Psychology (1992), 28, 759-775.
Retrieved from
http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/online/inge_origins.pdf
Heller, S. (October, 1997) The vital touch: how intimate
contact with your baby leads to happier, healthier development. (Eds.) New
York, NY: Holt Paperbacks
Rathus, S.A. (2011) CDEV 2010-2011 Edition. Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning.
Tolan, W. & Tomasini, L. (March, 1977) Mothers of
"Secure" Vs. "Insecure" Babies Differ Themselves Nine
Months Later. Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED135495.pdf
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