Attachment theory Essay Example for Free

Attachment theory EssayAttachment is an important factor in a tykes life. It makes them emotional state safe and ensure.The infants tendency to seek the closeness to particular raft and to feel more bushel in their presence. (Erikson 1976)I think that when Erikson made this parameter, what he was actually saying was that an bail is when a tiddler is more comfortable in a desktop if they argon with the people they atomic number 18 closest to and the people that they like to be with and seek attention of these people more than others. Attachment is like a while of invisible string that binds individuals in a way that allows a healthy development (psychology for AS level).This statement in my opinion states that an attachment which forms a bond between the people involved is important for ripe development for the child.What happens if there isnt a bond or an attachment in the childs life? I am waiver to look into three different psychologists theories on attachment and see what their opinions on the subject atomic number 18.The archetypal psychologist I am looking into is Bowlby. Bowlby had precise strong opinions on attachment and the long term affects a lack of a bond or attachment can have on a childs life. Bowlby believed that a child should form one and only one strong attachment which should be with the mother of the child. This is cognize as monotrophy. The father in Bowlbys eyes was there for the making of the baby only and would show no input or importance in the childs upbringing.Bowlby came to the conclusion that children who failed to form this bond with their mother in the front three years of the childs life would have problems in later life bonding with people and swear people. He also described a child with a lack of bonding to be an affectionless psychopath, which he described to be just aboutone who shows lack of guilt when done something wrong has difficulties showing emotion to things al approximately them or someone w ith behaviour problems. Another affect of not having an attachment in this critical dot as it was also known in Bowlbys eyes was development retardation which meant the child may surface up with learning difficulties or slower intellectual skills.The next psychologist I am going to handle is Mary Ainsworth. Ainsworth investigated bonding and broke it elaborate into different sections. She broke it down it to three different types of attachment. These were secure attachments, anxious avoidant attachments and anxious resistant attachments.Secure attachments were described as the strongest of the three. This is where the children know they are loved and cared for and they feel secure with the person they have bonded to. When they are go forth without their attachment run into for the first sentence they provide show surges of distress and upset. However afterwards succession they will make water used to cosmos left and they will not be as distressed as time gos on.Anxiou s avoidant attachment is not as strong as the secure attachment and the bond it weaker. These children seem more sovereign and can manage small tasks on their own. This may be due to a change in the attachment manikins attitude or behaviour towards the child which may be caused by death or separation from a partner. This can also be caused by separation from child and attachment figure due to illness or separation at birth. This attachment is normally weaker because of the lack of full combining from either party.Anxious resistant attachment is similar to anxious avoidant attachment notwithstanding the child frequently is more clingy and seeks more attention to people as well as the attachment figure but when people tries to comfort them they will often not accept the comfort.The last psychologists I am going to look at are Shaffer and Emerson. Shaffer and Emersons theory is the one Ainsworth used to conclude her investigations. They looked more at children with seven-fold attachments which contradicts Bowlbys theory which said only one strong attachment can be made. They broke their findings down in to four sections. These sections are Asocial stage which is children of 0-2, the indiscriminate stage, children of 2-7 months, specific stage which is children of 7 months increase and thus finally multiple attachment.Asocial stage is described to be where the children aged 0-2 months will act to human faces but will not show any main distress towards whom it is they are with. This heart and soul that if you placed a 0-2 month baby in a day care setting then they will not really kick much of a fuss when their mother leaves them they will usually be happy and content as long as they are getting some attention. On my location while I was working in the 0-2 room the youngest child there at the time was only 6 weeks old she would bring forth to nursery with no hassle every day after her nap she would sometimes cry a little bit until she got some attenti on. She was happy when her mum came to get her but she didnt cry for her when she wasnt there. Where as one of the oldest children who was nearly 18 months used to cry for her mum nearly all day, she only seemed happy when she was eating.The indiscriminate stage is for children from 2 month up until 7 month. These children are more aware of what is happening and they know who they prefer to spend time with usually in most cases it is the main care giver, but they will still be ok and not similarly unhinged around strangers and unknown faces.The specific stage is where one strong attachment is clear and the child becomes very weary and anxious around unknown people. This is usually why when a child over 7 months is brought into a child care setting, they take a while to settle and cry for their carer.Multiple attachments are where the child is close to or has an attachment with more than one person. This is often when they spend a lot of time with these people as well as their care givers. These people can include railyard reboots, extended family, neighbours and realistically people who they spend a lot of time with and they feel safe around.As some of the theorists mentioned above said they would be distress when a child was left or was dislocated from their attachment figure its is important that children get used to a setting before being brought and left alone. In some child care setting they hold hollers for the children where they can come with their attachment figure and see the setting and play with the other children to see what it is like and to get to know the care workers faces first.In my placement they do this over a period of 6 visits(longer if child is very unsettled) to avoid excessively much stress and upset for the new children coming to nursery each time a visit takes place the attachment figure will stay a little bit less than the time before leaving the child with the other children and care givers. This way they feel that the child gets used to not having their mother there all the time and also gets to know the other people in the setting and environment.Another way the children help settle in the nurseries or child care setting is they are allowed to bring with them a transitional object with them to comfort them when they get upset.One child in my placement had a pink cushion which she has all the time when she is upset. When she settles down she often puts it down a leaves it on the floor, at this point the care worker picks it up discreetly and puts it in her box. They do this because they feel if she is vie nice and contently then she sees the cushion she will pick it up and carry it round again where as if it is out of the way the child will hopefully play for a longer amount of time. The child gets it back if she asks for it or if she becomes distressed on upset in anyway.In my placement to avoid too much stress and upset for the new children coming to nursery, they have an induction period. This is where the child will come in to the nursery with their parent to have a look around, meet the staff and the other children in the setting. The child gets to play with the toys and will start to get used to the setting so when its time for their parent to leave then it wont be so distressing.When a child is in the setting some of the parents come and visit the child during lunch time or if they get a break at work. This was good for some children as it reassured the children that their parents were coming back for them and they hadnt just left them forever. For some children however this was not beneficial and the situation was more distressing for them having to say bye to their carer all over again.