Asked by Noelia Martínez-Voigt on Jun 10, 2024
Verified
Define the concept of attachment and summarise the patterns of attachment seen in infants.
Attachment
An emotional bond that forms between individuals, crucial for personal development, and originated in early childhood.
Patterns of Attachment
The characteristic ways in which individuals relate to others, especially in the context of intimate and caregiving relationships, determined early in life and influencing subsequent relationships.
Infants
Young children from birth to one year of age, characterized by rapid physical, cognitive, and social development.
- Explain and comprehend the principle of attachment and its impact on subsequent growth.
Verified Answer
Mary Ainsworth, in the 1970s, developed a research paradigm to study attachment using separation anxiety as a measure. She found that most infants have a secure attachment, playing and exploring comfortably when mom is present, becoming visibly upset when she leaves, and calming quickly upon her return.
Some babies, however, show anxiety even when mom is near and protest excessively when she leaves, but are not particularly comforted when she returns. Ainsworth labelled this pattern anxious-ambivalent attachment. Finally, some babies sought little contact with their mothers and were not distressed when she left, a pattern Ainsworth labeled avoidant attachment.
Learning Objectives
- Explain and comprehend the principle of attachment and its impact on subsequent growth.
Related questions
When 1-Year-Old Andrea Tries to Talk,her Mother Talks Back;when She ...
Even Though Alicia Was Busy Playing When Her Mother Came ...
Research on Attachment Shows That at About 6 to 7 ...
___________________________ Is a Close Emotional Bond Between the Infant and ...
Infant Monkeys Raised with a Nourishing Wire Mother and a ...