ATTACHMENT STARTS FROM BIRTH, WANNA KNOW HOW?

Attachment is the invisible force that builds our relationships and connection. It all starts from the moment we are born. When someone is deeply attached to another person, the mere thought of separation can stir intense emotions. Have you ever wondered why you can’t escape the gravitational pull of your loved ones? Well, it’s all thanks to attachment, the scientific phenomenon that keep us glued together. From brains to bonding chemicals, it’s the real ” stick- together” science.

From a scientific perspective several mechanisms can explain attachment.

• Brain Regions

Attachment has its foundation in brain regions such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. These areas handle emotions and social cues for forming and managing attachments.

• Evolutionary Advantage

Attachment evolved as a survival strategy. Infants who formed strong bonds had better chances of survival, providing protection, food and care.

• Imprinting

Imprinting seen in animals, shows how early attachment tendencies develop during a sensitive period, emphasizing the importance of early bonds.

• Dopamine and Oxytocin

Neurotransmitters like dopamine reward positive social interactions, while oxytocin, the “love hormone”, promotes trust and emotional connection, strengthening attachments.

In short, attachment is a blend of brain regions, imprinting, evolutionary advantages, and chemical processes involving dopamine and oxytocin. It throws light on the profound and lasting connections we form with others.

In this article we are going to find out answers of the following questions

• What is Attachment Theory?
• What are the stages of attachment?
• What are the types of Attachment?
• What shapes the way children grew up?
• How do various factors impact their capacity to build meaningful relations with others?
• What leads to the feelings of anxiety, avoidance or contentment in their relationships?

WHO IS JOHN BOWLBY?

Attachment theory in psychology has its roots in the pioneering work of John Bowlby (1958). During the1930s, Bowlby practiced as a Psychiatrist at a Child Guidance Clinic in London, where he provided treatment to numerous emotionally troubled children. His experiences there highlighted the importance of a child’s relationship with their mother in shaping their social, emotional, and cognitive development. These experiences moulded his understanding of the connection between early separations from the mother or caregiver and subsequent maladjustment, ultimately leading him to develop his attachment theory.

Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”

In thr 1970s, psychologist Mary Ainsworth build upon Bowlby’s work. Her “Strange Situation” study showed how attachment deeply affects behaviour. In this study, researchers observed children aged 12-18 months as they reacted to being briefly alone and then reunited with their mothers.

Ainsworth identified three major attachment styles based on observed responses: secure, ambivalent-insecure, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Main and Solomon (1986) added a fourth style called disorganized-insecure attachment based on their own research.

Numerous studies since then have confirmed Ainsworth’s attachment styles and shown that these styles also influence behaviours in later life.

Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues identified three primary attachment patterns in infants through their Strange Situation Procedure. They conducted the study with four different groups of one-year-old infants, following a procedure as outlined below:

1. They placed the infant in an unfamiliar environment with their mother, allowing the infant to explore.
2. A stranger entered the room and approached the infant gradually.
3. The mother left the room, leaving the infant alone with the stranger.
4. After some time, the mother returned.

Ainsworth and her colleagues assessed each infant’s comfort when physically separated from the mother in an unfamiliar environment, their interactions with the stranger, and their behaviour upon the mother’s return.

Using these observations, they categorized the infants into three groups: secure, anxious, and avoidant.

WHAT IS ATTACHMENT THEORY?

John Bowlby, an early psychoanalyst, initially formulated Attachment Theory, exploring the impact of infant-parent separation. He hypothesized that infants exhibit behaviours such as crying, clinging, and screaming to avoid separation from their caregivers. These behaviours are scientifically as they increase a child’s chances of survival and have evolved over generations through natural selection.

These actions make up what Bowlby termed the “attachment behavioral system,” which shapes our tendencies and practices in establishing and sustaining relationships.

STAGES OF ATTACHMENT

Researchers Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson conducted a longitudinal study involving 60 infants to analyse the number of attachment relationships they form. Observers monitored these infants every four weeks during the first year of life and again at 18 months.

The babies were visited monthly for approximately one year, their interactions with their carers were observed, and carers were interviewed.

A diary was kept by the mother to examine the evidence for the development of attachment. Three measures were recorded:

• STRANGER ANXIETY – It refers to the reaction when a stranger arrives.

• SEPARATION ANXIETY – Distress when away from the caregiver, seeking comfort upon their return.

• SOCIAL REFERENCING – Child seeks guidance from caregiver to react to new situations confidently.

Based on their observations, Schaffer and Emerson outlined four distinct phases of attachment.

Pre-Attachment Stage or Asocial Stage (0-6 weeks)

• Infants from birth to 6 months don’t form strong attachments to specific caregivers.
• They communicate their needs by crying and fussing which naturally draw the caregiver’s attention.
• Young infants, during this stage respond to various stimuli, including social interactions and non-social ones, by smiling.

Example: When a baby is hungry or needs a diaper change, they may cry to signal the discomfort, and when their caregiver responds with feeding or changing, the baby may become calm and content.

Indiscriminate Attachment (6 weeks to 7 Months)

• From 6 weeks to 7 months start to like their main caregivers more.
• They trust that these caregivers will take care of them.
• While they accept care from others, they begin to recognize familiar faces and like their main caregiver the most.
• Babies generally enjoy being around people and become upset when someone stops playing with them.
• At 3 months, they smile more at familiar faces and feel cozy with their usual caregivers.

Example: A baby may readily accept comfort from a family friend or babysitter when mother is not present, demonstrating a lack of selective attachment.

Discriminate or Specific Attachment (7 to 11 Months)

• Between 7-11 months, infants strongly prefer one person.
• When separated from the primary attachment figure infant may express distress, a condition known as Separation Anxiety.
• Infant also start to feel anxious around strangers, a condition we refer as Stranger Anxiety.
• At this age, babies seek security and comfort from a particular person. They display fear of strangers and feel unhappy when they are apart from this special individual.
• Although some babies may experience these fears more intensely, this signifies that they have formed an attachment.
• Usually, they have developed this attachment by the time they reach one year of age.

Example: A baby may become visibly excited and happy when their mother comes into the room but may not respond as positively to other adults, even if they are familiar.

Multiple Attachments (10 Months and Onwards)

• Around 9 months, children start forming strong emotional bonds with caregivers beyond their primary attachment figures, including second parents, older siblings, and grandparents.
• Many babies in the Schaffer and Emerson study had multiple attachment by 10 months, including mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings and even neighbours.
• Babies become more independent and establish several attachments with the majority forming multiple attachments by 18 months.
• Infants often form a hierarchy of these multiple attachments, with some being stronger and more important to the child.
• An infant may have three attachments, but one may be stronger than the others, and one may be the weakest.
• The study showed that attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby’s signals, not necessarily the person they spent more time with. Schaffer and Emerson called this ” Sensitive Responsiveness.“
• Intensely attached infants had mothers who promptly responded and interacted with them, while weakly attached infants had mothers who didn’t interact as effectively.

Example: The child may have a close attachment to their mother and also show attachment behaviors, like seeking comfort and play, with their father, grandparents, and their regular day-care provider.

TYPES OF ATTACHMENT

Indeed, a child’s attachment style is often shaped by the caregiving they receive in their early years. Secure attachment typically results from supportive and loving caregiving, while inconsistent or neglectful care can lead to increased anxiety in the child’s relationship with their parents.

1. Secure attachment: A type of infant-parent bond where the child seeks comfort when distressed and trusts their caregiver to provide it.
2. Anxious-resistant attachment: A less common infant-parent bond where the child shows heightened distress upon separation, seeks upon reunion, and may display ambivalent behavior towards their parents.
3. Avoidant attachment: A form of infant-parent bond in which children exhibit little or no distress upon separation and tend to either ignore or actively avoid their parents upon reunion.
4. Disorganized or fearful attachment: Children act unpredictably and anxious towards their caregivers.

However, attachment theory takes it one step further, applying what we know about attachment in children to relationships we engage in as adults. These relationships (particularly intimate and/or romantic relationships) are also directly related to our attachment styles as children and the care we received from our primary caregivers.

SECURE ATTACHMENT

• Children who trust their caregivers may become upset when separated but feel happy upon being reunited.
• Healthy boundaries exist between the child and caregiver.
• The most common attachment style is typically referred to as “secure attachment.”
• The infant is characterized by actively seeking and maintaining proximity with the caregiver, especially during reunions.
• The infant may or may not be friendly with a stranger, but they consistently show more interest in interacting with the primary caregiver.
• There is mutual trust and support present.
• Controlled conflict resolution is evident.
• When scared, the child seeks reassurance from their caregivers.
• They are more likely to perceive others as supportive and helpful.
• They see themselves as competent and command respect.
• They engage in complex activities and tend to be more successful in classroom interactions with others.
• Ainsworth and her colleagues interpreted that infants who were securely attached to their mothers, exhibited less anxiety and more positive attitudes toward the relationship. This was likely because they believed in their mothers’ responsiveness to their needs.

AMBIVALENT OR ANXIOUS AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT

• In this type of attachment style, a child becomes distressed when separated. This is typically associated with anxious or ambivalent attachment.
• This attachment style is typically caused when an infant learns that their caregiver or parent is unreliable and does not consistently provide responsive care towards their needs.
• An anxiously attached infant is characterized as being somewhat ambivalent (and resistant) to their mother.
• Children often demonstrate signs of resistance during interactions with their mother, particularly during the strange situation reunion.
• This attachment style is characterized by a concern that others will not reciprocate one’s desire for intimacy.
• Children with this attachment style are likely to lack self-confidence and display a strong desire to maintain contact with their caregiver.
• Children with ambivalent attachment may display exaggerated emotional reactions and maintain distance from their peers, potentially leading to social isolation.
• Overall, ambivalent infants often exhibit maladaptive behaviours during the Strange Situation.
• Ainsworth and her colleagues found that ambivalent infants were anxious and lacked confidence in their mothers’ responsiveness. They observed that these mothers lacked “the fine sense of timing” in responding to their infants’ needs.
• As adults, individuals with ambivalent attachment style tend to be overly concerned with the uncertainty of a relationship. They often hold a negative working model of themselves and a positive working model of others.

AVOIDANT OR ANXIOUS RESISTANT ATTACHMENT

•  Children with an avoidant attachment style tend to avoid their parents or caregivers. They show no clear preference between a caregiver and a complete stranger and they exhibit little distress during separation.
• This behaviour can result from the caregiver ignoring attempts at intimacy, leading the child to internalize the belief that they cannot rely on this or any other relationship.
• Additionally, this behaviour can also be a result of abusive caregivers.
• Children with this style are characterized as displaying little to no tendency to seek proximity with their caregiver or mother.
• They may show slight signs of avoidance, such as turning away, avoiding eye contact, displaying minimal emotional responsiveness, and avoiding physical contact when reunited with their mother.
• Children who are punished for relying on a caregiver may learn to avoid seeking help in the future.
• As it can lead them to withdraw and resist seeking help, it hinders their ability to form positive relations with others.
• In response to their attachment difficulties, some children with avoidant style may display aggressive and antisocial behaviours, such as lying and bullying. They tend to distance themselves from others as a way to reduce emotional stress.
• As a result, they can be less effective in managing stressful situations.
• Ainsworth and her colleagues interpreted infants’ avoidance behaviors as a defensive mechanism against the mothers’ own rejecting behaviors, which could include being uncomfortable with physical contact or becoming easily angered by the infants.

DISORGANIZED OR FEARFUL ATTACHMENT

• Main and Solomon (1986) found that a significant number of infants didn’t fit into secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment styles based on their behaviour in the Strange Situation experiment. They labelled these infants as having a disorganized attachment type.
• Disorganized attachment is when children display unclear and contradictory behaviours, including freezing or abrupt movements.
• Child display a perplexing mix of behaviours, often appearing disoriented, dazed, or confused.
• Disorganized children may either avoid or resist the parent.
• The absence of a clear attachment pattern is typically associated with inconsistent caregiver behaviour. In such cases, parents can be both a source of comfort and fear.
• Children with disorganized attachment often struggle to develop an organized strategy for coping with separation distress. They may display aggression, disruptive behaviors , and tend to isolate themselves socially.
• They are more likely to see others as threats than sources of support, and thus may switch between social withdrawal and defensively aggressive behaviour (Kennedy & Kennedy, 2004).
• Main and Solomon discovered that parents of disorganized infants often had unresolved attachment-related traumas. This led parents to exhibit frightened or frightening behaviors, which in turn left the disorganized infants feeling confused or forced to rely on someone they were afraid of simultaneously.

FACTORS INFLUENCING ATTACHMENT

Although this process may appear straightforward, several factors can influence the development and timing of attachments, including:

• Opportunity for attachment: Children who lack a primary caregiver, such as those raised in orphanages, may struggle to develop the essential trust required to form attachments.
• Quality caregiving: When caregivers promptly and consistently respond to a child’s needs, it establishes the crucial foundation for attachment, as children learn to trust those responsible for their care. This is a pivotal factor.

CONCLUSION

Attachment theory is heavily influenced by the pioneering work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. It has provided invaluable insights into the importance of early relationships in child development. The research on Bowlby’s theory, particularly the observations of infants’ reactions to separation and reunion with their parents, has illuminated the enduring significance of these early attachment styles in shaping how individuals engage in intimate relationships and approach parenting.

This theory highlights the profound impact of secure attachments formed in childhood, as they tend to correlate with good self-esteem, the ability to build strong romantic relationships, and the capacity for open communication with others in adulthood. It underscores the enduring legacy of early caregiving experiences on an individual’s emotional and relational well being, emphasizing the enduring relevance and significance of attachment theory in our understanding of human development and relationships.

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