Attachment Observation

Introduction
Part A- Observe day care/home care setting/child being left with non family member and
respond to the following questions. Use separate paper to record the observation. Respond
to the items using given format. Give specific examples of behavior in your responses. One
example may NOT be used for multiple responses.

1. Give a description of gender and age of the specific child observed (must be between 9
and 30 months), as well as setting (place and size of the group) and length of time
observing. The age I observed was an 11 month old boy. The observation took place in an in
home family child care where there is a max of 6 children present ranging from 11months to 4
years of age. There was only one adult present. The length of the observation was about 4
minutes at pickup.
2. Write an objective observation of either arrival or departure time. There was a knock at
the door. A 19 month old girl makes a sound, looks up at the provider and runs in behind the
provider going to the door. The 11 month old boy stands looking at the 19 month old girl and
then at the provider while clutching his hands together. He walks to the door as well, and looks
toward the adult male parent coming through the front door. He then begins to make a sound and
begins to cry. The provider walks over to him and asks “Why are you crying? Did you want that
to be your mommy? Your mommy will be here soon.” The 11 month old boy stops crying and
starts making sounds. The provider starts to put the 11 month old on the floor but before he
touched the floor he started whining and the provider pulls him back up to her, and says “Did
you not want me to put you down? It’s okay, I will hold you” So the provide sits on the floor
while holding him. The provider grabs a blue toddler car and rolls it on the floor, and then the 11
month reaches for the car and grabs it. He then begins to roll it, picks it up above his head and let
it fall to the floor. During this time there was another knock on the door and the 11 month starts
wining. The provider picks him up and says “We will go the door together to see who it is, is that
okay with you?” The provider opens the door and says “hi” and the 11 month old boy starts
crying. He reaches for his mom who is coming through the door. The mom comes in along with
his sister and shuts the door behind them. She then says “Oh your fine, your okay”, as she
reaches to grab him and gave him a kiss. The infant boy then stops crying, and seconds later
starts babbling. The sister reaches for him and grabs him from mom and the 11 month old boy
goes to her while still babbling. The provider says to the infant boy “There is mom, I told you
she would come back. I know you missed her while she was away.”
Part B - Base the following answers on your objective observation (Part A/2) of the child’s
interaction with their parent. (This is your interpretation of the objective observation.)

1. What attachment promoting behaviors do you see the child displaying? The 11 month old
boy seems to show anxiety around the other parents. He also cries when other adults come in,
and when his mom came in (intense feelings for parent).

2. How does the parent respond? I think he responds in a positive manor. The mother says “Oh
your fine, your okay.” She then grabs him up and gives him a kiss and then the sister reaches for
him and mom allows her to grab him.
3. How does the caregiver respond? She sees that he (infant boy) wants his mom. She knows
that the infant missed her and didn’t think she would come back. She says to the infant, “There is
mom, I told you she would come back. I know you missed her while she was away.”

4. Can you tell how the parent feels about the child’s attachment to the caregiver? Yes,
the mom is happy that she has a caregiver that will treat her infant son like her own. You could
tell the mom was very comfortable, and at ease when picking up her son. She listened as the
mom talked soothingly to the infant boy.

Part C - Base your answers on your objective observation (Part A/2) of the child’s
interaction with the caregiver. (This is your interpretation of the objective observation.)

1. What attachment-promoting behaviors do you see the child displaying? Attachment-

promoting behavior I see is fear of strangers, cries after mom leaves and when he sees her.

2. What evidence of the attachment dance do you observe? (Caregiver promoting

attachment behavior.) The provider was talking in a soothing voice, reassuring the infant boy
that his mom would be there soon to get him. The 11 month old infant boy stopped crying.

Part C
1. How did you feel about this observation? This observation allowed me to really view the
child and take his feelings into consideration. It helped me understand a lot better about his
attachment behavior and attachment to his mother.
2. What advice might you give to the caregiver and/or parent? For the parent just let them
know that it’s normal for her 11 month old to have attachment behaviors. Infants tend to fear
strangers and may display separation anxiety.