Running head: INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

Individual Reflection on Experience of Creating this Project

Michelle M. Powers
University of Northern Iowa

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Throughout the course of this project my understanding of the importance and long-term
effects of attachment have grown immensely. Prior to this project I had a finite understanding of
the actual value of the content in the attachment theory. Now I recognize how crucial it is for a
child to get adequate time with its mother to develop a connection with the infants primary care
giver.
My focus for this project was on John Bowlby, the primary founder of the attachment
theory. According to the Simply Psychology website, Bowlby was inspired by a man named
Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz did a study on goslings, and the way they attach to their caregiver.
Konrad found that gosling attach to the first thing they see after hatching from their egg. This
idea implied that attachment is innate and has a survival value (McLeod, 2007). This encouraged
Bowlby in his belief that attachment was instinctive and is activated by conditions and
environment. I found this truth of Konrads to be very interesting and humorous.
His theory was recognizing that the connection between the primary caregiver and the
infant influences the childs behavior, sense of self, of others, and of trust (Hauser-Cram, Nugent,
Thies, Travers, pg. 233-235, 2014). According to Bowlby, the sensitive, responsive maternal care
is the single most important precursor of secure attachment relationships and social and
emotional competence. I gained a new understanding of the various roles that attachment to a
caregivers plays in an infants life physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, all aspects of
development are influenced by this.
Attachment is defined as lasting psychological connectedness between human beings
(Hauser-Cram, et. all. 2014). According to About Psychology website, Bowlby viewed proximity
maintenance, a safe haven, secure base, and separation distress as the four main characteristics of

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attachment. Examples of attachment include: skin-to-skin contact, crying or screaming to seek

soothing from mother through contact, and constant interaction which establish security in child.
I learned that consistency is the way a child is nurtured is important to create security and reduce
anxiety in a child.
Bowlby created four series of phases that breaks down the attachment theory
development into the need each child at a certain age has. The first stage is preattachment which
occurs during the first six weeks of life. Crying, sucking, eye contact, and rooting are beautifully
designed to promote proximity and contact with the protective caregiver (Hauser-Cram, et. all,
236, 2014). During this period they are not attached, it is indiscriminate forms of connectedness
that baby tends to do with most protective, caring adults. Attachment in the making begins at six
weeks and continues up to sometimes eight months. Throughout this period of time they have
identified who their primary caregiver is. Reactions to their mother compared to a stranger make
this noticeable. The second phase is a time of building trust and security. This secure base
enables infants to explore their environment more. The clear cut attachment phase begins at eight
months and ends at around 24 months. This is when the baby struggles with separation from their
mother, and experiences an increase in anxiety in the presence of an unfamiliar person. They are
now able to actively explore their environment on their own, but usually do so when the
caregiver is in close proximity to them. At the age of two years old they reach the goal corrected
partnership phase, at this stage the child now views their mother as an independent person, but
has many of the same goals and now the relationship is looked at as a partnership.
Mary Ainsworth was a partner of John Bowlbys and contributed almost at much to the
attachment theory as Bowlby did. Psychology World website shares, that Mary identified the
existence of attachment behavior by doing numerous studies on the different forms of individual

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attachment. The Strange Situation Procedure, concluded that there are four different infant
behaviors secure attachment, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganized attachment.
I loved the opportunity to get to look more into what the attachment theory means. I did
not recognize how important making those connections with your child is. I feel like this got me
excited to look more into different facts about how valuable it is to nurture your child in this way.
The long term affects surprised me, and I appreciated the knowledge you shared in class as well.
On my next visit to Guatemala I hope to take this knowledge and ask the orphanages we work
with what there care programs look like. I am interested to see if they are aware of these truths
and the negative effects that can occur if they are not present in a relationship.

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References
Attachment Theory. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from
http://www.psychologistworld.com/developmental/attachment-theory.php
Koch, S. (2010, September 1). Depression, Obsessions, and Compulsions: Concepts in
Ethology and Attachment Theory. Retrieved February 16, 2015,
from http://mybrainnotes.com/depression-adhd-ocd.html
Hauser-Cram, P., & Nugent, J. K., & Thies K. M., Travers, J. F., (2014) Development of
Children and Adolescence. United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mcleod, S. (2007, January 1). John Bowlby | Maternal Deprivation Theory | Simply
Psychology. Retrieved February 15, 2015, fromhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.htm