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What determines the particular pattern of attachment between child and caretaker?
In order to assess what determines the particular pattern of attachment between child and caretaker the concept of attachment and the origins and development of attachment theory will be outlined. The methodologies by which the quality of attachment between child and caretaker is measured will be discussed. The research evidence from competing theorists as to what determines the particular pattern of attachment between child and caretaker will be critically reviewed and analysed. Finally on evaluating the evidence it will be concluded that maternal sensitivity is of particular importance in determining the particular pattern of attachment between child and caretaker but other factors especially the child’s temperament but also environmental influences and parental mind-mindedness among others are implicated. It will be further concluded that as a large percentage of individual differences in patterns of attachment cannot be explained by the available evidence that what determines the particular pattern of attachment between child and caretaker cannot be explained by any one factor but is likely to be an interaction of many factors some yet to be discovered.
The bonding relationship that develops between children and their parents or other caregivers has long been recognised. ... One of the key concepts is that of attachment. The term attachment was originally used to denote a strong affectional bond between individuals. In developmental psychology it is taken to mean the emotional tie between a child and adult caregiver (Goldberg, 2000). The most influential theory in this area is John Bowlbys (1958, 1959, 1960) theory of attachment. Bowlby was a child psychiatrist also trained in psychoanalysis and he developed and defined the concept of attachment over a number of years. ... The main theories at the time were secondary drive theories that proposed attachment developed due to the mother or caregiver being the person who fed the infant (Bretherton, 1985). ... He argued there is a critical period when a child needs the love and care of one person and that a separation from this person would seriously effect the social and emotional development of the child. Following this Bowlby founded his own research unit which focused on mother- child separation and it was during this time he introduced his theory of attachment (Cassidy, 1999)
In developing his theory he was influenced by the object relation traditions in psychoanalysis and ethological theory in particular the research on imprinting by Lorenz in 1935 (as cited in Oatley and Jenkins, 1996) who noted that infant geese became attached to “parents” who did not feed them and Harlow (1959) who observed in his research involving infant rhesus monkeys raised in isolation that they preferred to cling to a cloth “mother” in times of stress rather than a wire “mother” that provided food. He drew on these theories and others to formulate his attachment theory which proposes that affectional ties between children and their caregivers have a biological and evolutionary basis. For their survival human infants are dependent on others and therefore infants are pre disposed to stay close to their caregivers and engage in proximity promoting behaviours when separated from the caretaker such as crying or smiling. Attachment is regarded as a reciprocal biologically rooted bond where the child seeks protection from the caretaker and the caretaker responds and gives it. ... A member of Bowlby’s research team during this time was the developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth and although impressed by Bowlby’s work was not convinced his ideas were of value for understanding infant-mother attachment (Ainsworth, 1983) However when she left she conducted an observational study of infant mother attachment in the Ganda. ... Data from the Ganda study indicated that secure attachment was significantly correlated with maternal sensitivity (Ainsworth, 1963; 1967). ... The format of the observation sessions was influenced by Bowlby’s ideas and Ainsworths elaborations especially the concept of the caretaker providing a secure base from which the infant can explore.
Approximate Word count = 3204
Approximate Pages = 12.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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