EARLY ATTACHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 2

Early Attachment and Development
Describe the four types of attachment identified by Bowlby.
Bowlby explained that at first, babies do not show any preference to any individual, not
even their mothers. However, when a child is four to six months, he or she develops strong
emotional connections with their caregivers. He identified four attachment phases in early
relationships. The first phase is the preattachment that begins at birth up to one and a half months
(Mossler, 2014). At this phase, a child tends to gaze, smile, and cry as a way of encouraging
interaction with adults. The child does not show any separation anxiety and does not show any
signs of discomfort when separated from the usual caregiver. The second one is the attachment-
in-the-making phase, which develops from when a child is one and a half months to six months.
At this stage, babies develop preferences, and they recognize familiar faces. Babies tend o have
few protests when separated from their caregivers. Prelinguistic communication is common with
familiar people as opposed to strangers.
The organized, goal-directed attachment is the third phase, which happens from when a
baby is 7-24 months. Children who are at this phase become distressed when the regular
caregivers leave. At the beginning of the second year, the protest is usually at its peak. Bowlby
explained that the last phase is the formation of reciprocal partnerships, which starts from the age
of twenty-four months (Mossler, 2014). Children begin to comprehend object permanence. They
understand that even when parents leave, they will ultimately come back. They form negotiated
relationships where they must receive for them to give. As children grow, autonomy increases as
protest declines.
Describe the four types of attachment identified by Ainsworth.

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Ainsworth explains four patterns of attachment that is observed among children. The first
one is securely attached infants, and babies form attachments by investigating their surroundings
when they are with their caregivers or parents. They then use that as a base and exhibit distress
through may be crying when they are separated from their caregivers. They generally calm down
after the caregivers reappear (Mossler, 2014). Parents of children that form this type of
attachment are more sensitive and receptive to the needs of their babies compared to parents
whose children form other types of attachments. Most children develop this pattern of
attachment.
The second pattern is the insecure-avoidant infants, and these babies are unresponsive to
their parents. These children pay little attention to their mothers’ absence, and even when their
mothers return, there is little change in their mood. Some children even try avoiding their
caregivers by walking away from them. Caregivers of babies who form this attachment are seen
to avoid the needs of their children by being less responsive. Sometimes they reject physical
contact, and children are left on their own to soothe and calm themselves down. The third type is
insecure-resistant infants, and these children show high levels of distress in the absence of their
caregivers (Mossler, 2014). They fight for attention and closeness, and they tend to demand
attention. They display distress until the caregivers return. Caregivers of babies who are insecure
tend to have inconsistent patterns of showing responsiveness and neglect to the child, hence the
child’s behavior.
The fourth type of attachment is among disorganized-disoriented infants. These children
develop insecure attachments. Their behavior, when separated and reunited with their caregivers,
is contradictory and confusing in equal measure. Such children may look away when their
parents try to comfort them, or they may approach a mother without demonstrating any form of

EARLY ATTACHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 4
emotion. Children who form these attachments demonstrate unusual behaviors. Most children
under this category have been through neglect or abuse (Mossler, 2014). Alternatively, if their
parents have suffered abuse, then they may have disorganized parenting practices, thus affecting
the kind of attachment that the children they raise will show.
Describe how attachment experiences affect the psychosocial development of children and
adolescents.
Attachment experiences have a direct impact on a child’s psychosocial development.
Children who develop negative attachments tend to view themselves as unworthy of any positive
interaction with adults; they feel unworthy of affection. Consequently, they tend to demonstrate
high levels of aggression and anger. They feel unloved and unwanted when punished for acting-
out selves. Children with such attachments need constant approval and affirmations from adults.
Adults and caregivers need to can voice these children’s concerns and verbalize empathy by
making these children know that they are loved (Shah, 2015). Using the role reversal of security
comes in handy when working with older children with negative attachments. This is where the
parent or caregiver actively seeks out the child to ensure that he or she touches the emotional
base that fills the emotional attachment that could be lacking in the child. Children with
attachment disorders withdraw from others, are aggressive, and tend to exaggerate their needs for
assistance. The child may fail to check back with the caregiver even when in need. Attachment
disorders tend to have adverse effects on the psychosocial development of children, and this is
evident in the behaviors that they depict as children and even at the adolescent stage.

EARLY ATTACHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 5

References

Mossler, R. A. (2014). Child and adolescent development (2nd ed). Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Shah, N. S. (2015, February 1). Effects of attachment disorder on psychosocial
development (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1667/effects-of-attachment-disorder-on-
psychosocial-development