Attachment Theory
A psychological model that attempts to describe the dynamics of long-term and short-term interpersonal relationships between humans, a strong emotional and physical attachment to at least one primary caregiver is critical to personal development.
Here is a video on attachment: https://vimeo.com/149425028
Examples:
Securely attached infants are easily soothed by the attachment figure when upset. Infants develop a secure attachment when the caregiver is sensitive to their signals, and responds appropriately to their needs.
It’s easy enough to know when you are attached to someone because you know how you feel when you are apart from that person, and, being an adult, you can put your feelings into words and describe how it feels
What is a secure attachment?
Children who are securely attached typically are visibly upset as their caregivers leave, but they are happy upon their return. These children seek comfort from their parent or caregiver when frightened.
Attachment Theorists
John Bowlby
The theory of attachment was originally developed by John Bowlby (1907 - 1990), a British psychoanalyst who was attempting to understand the intense distress experienced by infants who had been separated from their parents. Bowlby (1969) believed that attachment was an all or nothing process. However, research has shown that there are individual differences in attachment quality.
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) discovered what appeared to be innate differences in sociability in babies; some babies preferred cuddling more than others, from very early on, before much interaction had occurred to cause such differences.
Psychologist Mary Ainsworth (1971, 1974) devised an assessment technique called the Strange Situation Procedure
The security of attachment in one- to two-year-olds were investigated using the 'strange situation' procedure, in order to determine the nature of attachment behaviors and styles of attachment. Ainsworth developed an experimental procedure in order to observe the variety of attachment forms exhibited between mothers and infants.
Dr. Gordon Neufield is a Vancouver-based developmental psychologist with over 40 years of experience with children and youth and those responsible for them. A foremost authority on child development, Dr. Neufeld is an international speaker, a best-selling author (Hold On to Your Kids) and has a a wealth of information on his website regarding attachment. Yu can see his work on attachment at http://neufeldinstitute.org
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