Adult Attachment Theory
TOPIC - DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH QUESTION - To what extent do early attachments affect adult interpersonal relationships?
INTRODUCTION
Attachment can be referred to as a deep and enduring emotional bond connecting one individual to another across the barriers of time and space. It need not be a reciprocal relationship in nature. Renowned psychologist John Bowlby has defined attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness occurring between human beings’. One person may be attached to another individual without this relationship being mutual. From this term, stems the universal Attachment Theory.
In psychology, this theory originates with the joint work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth which was conducted
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To see the impact and effect of the early attachments on future adult interpersonal relationships the Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation was conducted. This study conducted has generated a few insights. They include that certain events exerts small but lasting effects on how others think, feel and behave in their adult interpersonal relationships years later and also that there are specific interpersonal pathways through which early-life experiences impact adult-relationship functioning.
The their research, they had tested how how specific early interpersonal relationship experiences were linked to adult romantic relationship functioning by following a longitudinal sample of participants from birth to adulthood. This comes from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA; Sroufe et.al. 2005) In 1976-1977, new mothers
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As its name says it is an insecure type of attachment. In this kind of early attachment the mother is regularly inconsistent in her responses to the babies’ needs. The parents either tend to over react to their infant or fail to help the infant from engaging socially. Appropriate research from Siegel has shown that mothers experiencing depression and other psychological disorders tend to vent it out on the child thus resulting in excess trauma and suffering for the child. Resultantly, these infants develop a confusing situation towards attachment in adulthood. They become more prone to being attached, becoming overly dependent on others. These adults attract emotional-unavailability towards them and focus essentially on internal distress. On the whole, they tend to experience unstable relationships in the future owing to their faulty perception and exposure as
Attachment Theory Paper
823 Words | 4 PagesThe following paper is given to discuss the attachment styles from the experts by how it was developed, while making note off the theorist whom played a part in developing the theory. This paper will also be discussing the impact the of attachment styles; secure, preoccupied, dismissive, and fearful-avoidant. There will be personal experiences given throughout the paper to further the illustrate the attachment theory. Finally, there will be a contrast on the perspective of the opposing sides when it comes to the durability of the styles. Attachment theory is an evolutionary, ethological, and psychological theory which gives individuals the explanatory and descriptive framework of understanding the interpersonal relationship between individuals in society.
Hazan And Shaver's Theory Of Attachment Theory
305 Words | 2 PagesCindy Hazan and Philip Shaver in 1980 were able to move the theory of attachment and children into developed theories of attachment on adulthood relationships. They found that even in cases of adults a strong attachment is still very important, Hazan and Shaver (1980) concluded that a balance intimacy with independence within a relationship is best, if the attachment was too strong both parties would be over dependent, and if the attachment was weak there would be a lack of intimacy with feeing of inadequacy (Hazan and Shaver, 1980). Many past findings have suggested that secure attachment is related to high levels of self-esteem; such is found evident in Wilkinson (2004) research about the role of parental and peer attachment in the psychological
Attachment Theory In Hope Meadows Synopsis
1013 Words | 5 PagesAttachment theory states that either secure or insecure bonds may form between infant and mother in the first several months of the infant’s life for the purposes of safety and security. The bond formed between infant and mother influences the quality of the relationships a child has throughout his or her life. One major reasoning of the attachment theory is that the parents are a sanctuary of safety throughout all of early childhood. Insecure attachments promote feelings of threat, rejection, and personal unworthiness. This can also be the explanation for the dream children stashing food away because of the possible threat that there,” will come a time when they will not be fed” (Smith 99).Unhealthy attachments not only lead to poor caregiver-child relationships, but can also cause a dysfunctional self-development, defective relationships, substance abuse problems, and educational difficulties.
Evaluate John Bowlby's Theory Of Attachment
783 Words | 4 PagesThese children are confident that their mother will provide comfort and security in times of need. In Ambivalent attachment, the child becomes extremely distressed once the mother leaves, upon her return the child is very difficult to comfort and is often seen “clinging” onto the mother and refusing to return to play. These children are usually subject to unpredictable care by the mother and cannot depend on her when the child is in need. Avoidant attachment is where the child shows no distress when the mother leaves and often show no preference between the mother and a complete stranger. This is usually a result of abusive and neglectful
• Compare And Contrast Two Theories Of Romantic Attachment
1577 Words | 7 PagesThis essay will compare and contrast two theories of romantic attachment/approaches, the interpersonal theory of attraction which are the positive feelings and attitudes towards another individual and the attachment theory which focuses on how the emotional bond between an infant and their caregiver affect the individual when they are an adult and how this may be applied to romantic attachment. It will also evaluate the strengths and limitations of each theory with reference to examples and scholarly articles. This essay will also argue that both theories are useful explanations of romantic attachment/attraction. There are also three other theories of interpersonal attraction; social exchange theory, evolutionary theory and the socio-cultural
Paul's Offending Behavior: Offence Analysis
284 Words | 2 PagesOffence Analysis Having established the relevant background and demographic factors, the next part of the report will identify the predisposing factors which contributed to the development of Paul’s offending behaviour. Specifically, this report will begin to acknowledge the mechanisms between Paul’s childhood experiences and his sexual offending behaviour. Paul’s childhood experiences Relational experiences are significantly influenced by the quality of an attachment bond that is established in childhood, specifically between a child and their parent/primary caregiver (Marsa et al., 2004). According to the attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), an attachment displays the bond between a child and their parent (primary
Border Line Personality Disorder Analysis
1548 Words | 7 PagesIt does not consider attachments that occur during adolescence (the first love), during adulthood (spouses and lovers), and during later life (the strong attachments noted between friends in retirement)" (Field, 1996, p. 545). Considering the limitations Field (1996) came up with her own attachment model as described here: “A parsimonious model of
Comparing John Bowlby And Mary Ainsworth's Theories
307 Words | 2 PagesAlthough we are studying theories, some of them appear to explain human behavior and personality with certain accuracy. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth theories of attachment can also explain what happens to people when attachment to their parents or caregivers is healthy or potential problems that could occur due to detachments. They suggest that individuals raised with secure attachments to their primary caregivers help them to feel secure; moreover, these children appear to be more socially skilled and less likely to experience major emotional disturbances. However, failure to form healthy attachments, especially mother-child, could serve as a descriptive mechanism for many negative psychological outcomes later in the life of an individual,
Paul Bernardo's Application Of Attachment Theory
748 Words | 3 PagesWhat is the attachment theory? , The attachment theory is a
Ainsworth Attachment Theory
554 Words | 3 PagesBowlby, Harlow, and Ainsworth each had unique positions on infant attachment and adult relationships. All three researchers pointed out that children become attached or unattached depending on the amount and type of love and affection they receive from birth. Each had a different way of creating their study. Harlow used baby monkeys taken from their mothers and replacing mom with either a metal or a terry cloth covered mom.
Sigmund Freud's Theory Of Attachment
1810 Words | 8 PagesThe experiment was done in a room with a one way glass to observe the infant. Different situations were given to the infant to determine the infant’s attachment style, the mother of the infant would leave the room and the infant would be left with the experimenter or the experimenter would leave the room and leave the mother and infant alone. How the infant reacts to the situation is used to determine the attachment style of the infant. Infants with secure attachment style would be distressed every time the mother would leave, the infant avoids the stranger when the mother leaves and when the mother returns the infant becomes happier. Infants with ambivalent attachment attachment style get distressed whenever the mother leaves, and avoids the stranger when left alone.
The Role Of Relationships In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
1192 Words | 5 PagesResearch has found that people who had secure attachments as children tend to have healthier romantic relationships as adults, while those who had insecure attachments may struggle with intimacy and trust issues. Romantic relationships, as shown with Gatsby and Daisy, can enhance personal growth and support people in pursuing their
Essay On Attachment Theory
785 Words | 4 PagesOverview of Attachment Theory Attachment theory tries to describe the evolution of personality and behaviour in relationships and it gives a reason for the difference in a person’s emotional and relationship attitudes. In the beginning, it looked at the mechanics of relationships between children and their parents but it has since been expanded to cover the entire life of the human being (Howe, 2000). Attachment theory includes insights learned from evolutionary theory, ethology, systems theory and developmental psychology (Howe, 2001).
Conceptual Framework Of Attachment Theory
1214 Words | 5 PagesAt the point when people have parental figures that are outspokenly responsive, they are prone to build up a secure attachment and a constructive inner working model of self as well as other people. Presently, the adult attachment could be portrayed as far as two measurements, adult attachment uneasiness, and adult attachment evasion (Ringer, et al., 2014). Furthermore, the adult attachment tension is conceptualised as the apprehension of interpersonal dismissal and deserting, unreasonable requirements for endorsement from others, antagonistic perspective of self, and hyper-enactment of influence regulation systems in which the individual over-responds to contrary emotions as an intend to pick up others' solace and backing. Then again, grown-up attachment evasion is portrayed by apprehension of closeness, intemperate requirement for confidence, hesitance for self-divulgence, pessimistic perspective of others+, and deactivation of influence regulation system in which the individual tries to dodge negative sentiments or pull back from personal connections (Berry, et al.,
Essay On Attachment In Early Life
1137 Words | 5 PagesAttachment in early life is a fundamental aspect of child development and the establishment of intimate and reciprocal relationships with caregivers. Shaffer & Kipp (2007) define attachment as ‘a close emotional relationship between two persons, characterized by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity’. Contrary to the original view of infant attachment as a ‘secondary drive’ of the dependency on caregivers for physiological needs, such as hunger; Bowlby (1969, 1973) proposed that all infants are born with an innate bias to form an attachment to a primary attachment figure to whom they can seek comfort, or a ‘secure base’ during stressful circumstances. It is proposed by Ainsworth (1967) that parental sensitivity is crucial to shaping the security and development of the initial infant-parent attachment relationship, however the phenomenon of attachment requires both infants and caregivers to contribute in the formation of the attachment bond. Ultimately, the quality of attachment in early life shapes both the social and emotional
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