Attachment influence the later development of infant

Abstract

In this paper, we try to focus on the how does attachment influence the later development of infant. The paper includes the introduction of the topic, and then adds research questions as to what I learn from the research. In this paper, I have also included some cultural differences. The paper adds Annotated bibliography of the related topic. In this paper, I used secondary method.

Attachment influence the later development of infant

Introduction

Traditionally, "attachment" has been used to refer to the infant's attachment to the caregiver as defined by the works of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. In this view of attachment, the human infant is born with an innate set of behaviors, referred to as "attachment behaviors", that are meant to keep adults close by, to protect the infant from danger, and to allow for safe exploration of the environment.

Through the reciprocal interaction between infant and caregiver, an infant learns not only who his or her caregiver is, but can also learn how to anticipate the caregiver's behaviors. From these expectations the infant forms a model of how to relate and interact with others, and this model will be used as a guide for future behaviors and relationships throughout life. It is necessary to remember that the mother is also developing her own attachment to the infant, and so it is just as important to address the way affects this maternal attachment, and the way this can influence the child's development. To date, however, few studies have addressed a mother's attachment style to her infant, resulting in a gap in the literature regarding the causal/reciprocal relationship between infant attachment and maternal attachment (Belsky, 1988).

Background

Models of maternal attachment focus on the ways in which a mother interacts with her infant, reflecting the notion that proximity and maternal communication. When there is a healthy parent-infant attachment with proximity, commitment, and reciprocity, this should lead the way to healthy infant development and a strong and lasting bond between parent and child (Kearney Schenk, Kelly and Schenk, 2005).

Research Questions

How the attachments of infant influence their development?

What does it impact on child, of their attachments through mother from the start?

What does a dangerous environment impact on infant development?

Discussion

Bowlby and Ainsworth further understood attachment behaviors as not just a survival behavior but also a physiological and psychological process. For this reason they described the infant as biologically predisposed to use the primary caregiver as a secure base, relying on him or her as a foundation of safety from which the child goes out to explore the environment (NICHD, 1997).

Attachment influence the later development of infant

Ainsworth's studies point out numerous behaviors of the infant that are more likely to manifest in the presence of the primary caregiver (usually the mother) than anyone else. Examples of these behaviors include: vocalizations, crying when caregiver leaves, stopping crying when held, and clinging to the caregiver and these behaviors help to form a closeness and exceptional interaction between infant and ...