Exploring Attachment with Children

Task 1: Theory and evaluation of attachment with children

Attachment with the parent plays a crucial role for child development and attachment with the mother is different from the attachment with other family members where the child’s development deepens the mother’s care and behaviour. According to John Bowlby theory of attachment, the children would initially create open attachment and that attachment is effective to explore the world. The attachment relationship is considered as a prototype to develop social relationship in future, making psychology dissertation help a crucial aspect of understanding these dynamics.

Bowlby theory of attachment

As per the Bowlby’s attachment theory, there are four stages, which are pre-attachment (in first few weeks), indiscriminate attachment (approximately 6 weeks to 7 months, specific attachment (7 to 9 months) and multiple attachment approximately from 10 months. In the pre attachment stage, the baby does not show any particular attachment to the care givers and after that on the indiscriminate attachment, the infants begin to show preferences to their primary and secondary care givers. In the third stage of discrimination, the infants show string attachment with one particular care giver which is mother, where the children depend on the mothers and the attachment is strong. After that, when the children turns into 10 months, they start showing emotion and attachment with other members in the family and thus as per the theory of Bowlby. The primary attachment is necessary for the children and it has significant role for child development. Hence, Bowlby’s ethological theory recognises the infant’s emotional tie to the care givers and the children respond to the care givers for survival. It is necessary of the care givers to protect the children as the child initially depends on one particular care giver and try to explore the world. Hence, the quality of attachment is mandatory, where child’s security and capacity are necessary to be built from the trusting relationship. As per the theory, the mother who is responsible and available for fulfilling the infant’s needs establish the sense of security in their children. The infants know that they are dependent on the care givers and they try to create bond with the care givers and it is the responsible of the mother to create a secure base so that the child can feel to be secured and explore the world safely. In this regard, there are four characteristics of attachment which are safe heaven, secure base, proximity maintenance and separation distress and these attributes are very evident in the relationship between the care givers and the children.

Mary Ainswoth theory

The theory by Mary Ainswoth is known as developmental psychology and it is considered as strange situation assessment, where the children aged between 12 and 18 months are observed in different situation to identify the attachment with the family members and other person in the room. The sequence of assessing the child development as per the Mary Ainswoth theory are such as, staying parent and children alone in a room, talking with the parents, stranger access to the room, parents quickly leaves the room, monitoring the child afterwards and reappear to comfort to child. These situations are analysed and evaluated to understand and monitor the behaviour and thoughts of the infants at home.

Rutter’s view

Rutter’s argue that, the child fails to develop attachment which is privation, and deprivation refer to the loss or damage of the attachment, where the child feels insecure and deprived at home due to lack of attachment. Rutter believes that, there is valid reason of separation like mother’s illness, mental health problems, break ups and alcohol addicted. The view of Rutter indicates that, the child feel separated in the early infancy stage, the child cam recover the situation and reform positive relationship with the care givers. Rutter did not agree the term maternal deprivation, stated by Bowlby, but their points of view about separation somehow matched with each other. There are different reasons of deprivation and privation which reshape the child development. Deprivation occurs, where the child experiences less of attachment and privation occurs when the child did not even experience any attachment. the theories influence the government to reshape their policies and promoting the information that the women should stay at home at least 6 months after child birth to protect and care the child and there is maternity leaves in the corporate world, which is also influenced by the attachment theory, where the individuals believes that the attachment and relationship between the child and mother is important for successful child development. Neuroscience technology is also influenced with the attachment and it has been established that attachment is effective to encourage the children and help them to explore the world as well as it ensure mental and physical development of the children.

Task 2: Promoting secure attachment

The health care professionals working with adults also ensures healthy relationship building between the parents and the children, in order secure the child and protect them with proper care and support. It is essential for the mothers to present, be interactive, and positively engage with the child by holding them, reading with them, smiling at them, singing which further helps the child to enjoy the moment and feel to be safe under protected environment. Consistent warmth and safe place as well as responsiveness are effective to improve trust and let the infants understand that they are in the safe place and there is someone who takes care of him and fulfil his needs and preferences. Through this, the infants start smiling interacting and responding with the care and this attachment parenting is playing crucial role for reshaping the child development, where the development of sense of attachment and relationship and sense of security and love can be developed among the infants. It is hereby necessary for the parents to improve parenting and be responsive and present to care the infants and protect them so that trust and bonding can be developed and it would be possible to ensure physical and mental development of the children.

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