| The word "attachment" is used a lot in parenting | | | | (usually around 12 months old) and his/her parent or |
| magazines and often comes up in discussions among | | | | primarily caregiver (usually the mother). How the child |
| parents. Of course, all of us have some notion of what | | | | responds to the parent when she returns is key to |
| the parent-child attachment is all about, but in child | | | | understanding the attachment style. Ainsworth |
| psychology theory and research "attachment" has a | | | | ultimately developed four attachment categories |
| very specific meaning. In fact, a whole line of research | | | | based on the Strange Situation: |
| has developed focused solely on attachment theory. | | | | - Secure: Most children (about 60%) play happily when |
| So I thought I'd offer a little background on what | | | | in the same room with their mother. They typically |
| psychologist mean when they discuss attachment. | | | | spend some time close to their mother and some time |
| The academic understanding of attachment was | | | | exploring their surroundings. They use their mother as |
| developed primarily by two psychologists--John | | | | a "secure base" from which to explore their new |
| Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Bowlby became | | | | environment. Upon separation these children are |
| interested in parent-child attachments in post-World | | | | typically somewhat distressed but are easily calmed |
| War II Europe after he saw the distress and | | | | and comforted by their mother when she returns. |
| psychological damage caused by children being | | | | - Ambivalent: Some children do not use their mother as |
| separated from their parents due to war and disease. | | | | a secure base to such a degree and instead, try to |
| At that time, parents were often not allowed to see | | | | stay close to her even before the separation. When |
| their hospitalized children, sometimes for months on | | | | separated these children are extremely upset. Upon |
| end. | | | | reunion with their mother, they seem to react with |
| He began to theorize that infants and children were | | | | some ambivalence--they may cry to be picked up but |
| evolutionarily wired to seek proximity to an attachment | | | | then seem to push the mother away or not be easily |
| figure (usually a parent) due to the need for safety, | | | | soothed. |
| security and care. Infants and young children use | | | | - Avoidant: Some children show a pattern of |
| "attachment behaviors" such as crying, clinging and | | | | avoidance with their mother. They do not engage in |
| following to try to meet this need to be close to their | | | | play with their mother while she is in the room and |
| attachment figure. He also theorized that children who | | | | when she leaves they show little distress. Upon reunion |
| experience insensitive or unresponsive reactions from | | | | with their mother, these children do not try to readily |
| parents will be much more likely to have psychological | | | | seek her out. |
| problems later in life. | | | | - Disorganized: This category was developed several |
| Mary Ainsworth, a student of Bowlby's, further refined | | | | years later. These children are often very distressed |
| attachment theory. She argued that the interaction | | | | by separations from their mothers but display |
| between the parent and child is key to determining | | | | disorganized behavior upon her return such as |
| what type of attachment is formed. If the parent is | | | | approaching but then backing away. They may show |
| responsive to the child's need for security and safety, | | | | behaviors like frozen expressions or rocking. Most |
| the child learns that the parent can be relied upon. In | | | | often these patterns are seen among children whose |
| contrast, if the child's needs are met with | | | | mothers have mental health problems or have |
| unresponsiveness from the parent, the child learns that | | | | experienced extreme trauma. It is important to note |
| the parent cannot be relied upon and the child may | | | | that most children exhibit a secure attachment with |
| develop means of coping with this such as becoming | | | | their caregiver. Research has shown that children who |
| overly clingy or avoiding the parent. | | | | show signs of insecure attachment (i.e., avoidant, |
| Another interesting aspect of attachment theory is the | | | | ambivalent, etc.) most often have parents who were |
| idea that children develop an "internal working model" | | | | unresponsive or inconsistent in their responses to the |
| of how relationships work based on their attachment | | | | child (i.e., sometimes responsive but not always) so he |
| with their parent. In other words, if a child feels their | | | | she doesn't know how to react. |
| parent can be trusted to meet their needs, they | | | | I also want to point out that attachment theory is |
| (unconsciously) feel that other adults (i.e., teachers, | | | | different from attachment parenting. In developing |
| friends) are also trustworthy. Similarly, children also | | | | attachment theory, psychologists Bowlby and |
| develop internal working models of themselves also. If | | | | Ainsworth did not set out any specific parenting |
| their parent is responsive to them, they come to | | | | techniques per se. Ainsworth wrote that the main |
| understand that they themselves are worthy of care. | | | | factors that influence attachment are: |
| At this point you may be thinking that all this theory | | | | sensitivity-insensitivity, acceptance-rejection, |
| sounds great but is there any evidence to back it up | | | | cooperation-interference, and accessibility-ignoring. |
| and what does all this mean in real life? | | | | Attachment parenting is a termed coined in recent |
| Psychologist Mary Ainsworth first began studying and | | | | years (not by Ainsworth) to describe a combination of |
| testing her theory of attachment in Uganda in the | | | | certain parenting techniques and principles. Proponents |
| mid-1950s. She intensely observed mothers and infants | | | | of attachment parenting often encourage practices |
| in their homes in Uganda several hours a day for up to | | | | such natural birth, co-sleeping, and babywearing. While |
| nine months. Upon returning to the U.S., she continued a | | | | the original attachment theorists (Ainsworth and |
| similar type of study in Baltimore with a sample of | | | | Bowlby) focused on sensitive, responsive parenting |
| American mothers and infants. Ultimately she devised | | | | they never referenced many of the terms used in |
| a study method called the Strange Situation which | | | | attachment parenting circles. In other words, a parent |
| enabled researchers to determine what kind of | | | | can form a secure attachment with their child in other |
| attachment an infant had with his/her parent. | | | | ways that solely focusing on "attachment parenting" |
| Basically, the Strange Situation involves a series of | | | | techniques. |
| short separations and reunions between the infant | | | | |