SCHOOL OF APPLIED HUMAN

SCIENCES

ASSIGNMENT COVERSHEET
Student Name SIYANDA SHANDU
Student Number 222068815
Module Name PSYCHOLOGY 222 CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
Module Code PSYCH 222 P2
Module Coordinator Dr Motlalepule Lekeka
Campus PIETERMARITZBURG

Assignment TOPIC 3
Deadline 13 OCTOBER 2023 / 15:00 PM
Wordcount 1261

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Date Signed & Submitted 13/10/2023

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This essay will focus on the attachment styles which are secure, avoidant, and ambivalent
attachment styles whereby it will explain how each style contributes to or influences the
formation of a psychopathology.

SECURE ATTACHMENT STYLE

The secure attachment style plays a significant role in influencing the formation of
psychopathology. Individuals with a secure attachment style generally have positive and
healthy relationships with others. In order to develop into emotionally balanced adults who
are able to form healthy relationships, children who experience secure attachment can learn
how to control their emotions and deal with anxiety. They have a sense of trust, feel safe and
secure in their relationships, and have confidence in themselves and others. It is believed that
babies who have their mothers' care and attention are securely attached. These infants are free
to explore their surroundings because they have a strong sense of trust in their mothers and
know they can turn to them for assistance if necessary (Simmons, Gooty, Nelson, & Little,
2009).

These infants did not explore their surroundings in the presence of strangers in strange
situations, and they desired contact with their mothers when they returned (Ainsworth, 1979).
According to Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991), people with secure attachment styles can
develop wholesome relationships as adults that let them connect with others while still
maintaining their independence. Aside from this, according to research by Simmons et al.
(2009) on staff members of assisted living facilities and their managers, people who are
securely attached have higher levels of trust and hope. The secure attachment style is the
healthiest and frequently produces adults who are well-adjusted, according to all of the
available evidence. Children with secure attachment relationships are better than insecure
children at mentalizing.

An infant's ability to learn "mind reading" may be constrained by insecure and unpredictable
attachment relationships between parents and their children. These relationships can also lead
to a negative social environment. Social anxiety is lessened as a result of the hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal axis experiencing "adaptive hypoactivity" as a result of secure attachment.
In time, self-prediction and emotional self-control become possible thanks to secure
attachment and mind-focused reflective mirroring from caregivers, which increase awareness
of internal states. The positive effects of secure attachment result, at least in part, from the
caregiver's superior ability to pick up on ostensive cues in the baby's environment. By

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mentally processing the baby, the caregiver can help the child learn about their own
subjective self by responding appropriately and mirroring the child's state.

A child's ability to feel secure in their self-worth and confidence is enhanced when their
needs are consistently met by caregivers. A secure attachment and adept mentalizing also help
the infant with this issue. It may be easier to teach secure infants than insecure ones because
learning is sparked by ostensive cues that are similar to those of secure parenting. On the
other hand, disorganized attachment interferes with overt cues and would be predicted to
impair learning. When teaching the infant about his or her own subjectivity, the impact of
secure attachment is anticipated to be especially important.

AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT STYLE

People who have an avoidant attachment style tend to repress their feelings and avoid asking
for help from others. The accumulation of unresolved emotions brought on by this emotional
suppression may help to fuel the emergence of psychopathologies like anxiety or depression.
An insecure attachment style is an avoidant attachment. A child who avoids attachment is
independent and dependable. They are taught to keep their emotions at a distance and to stop
depending on the caregiver. They have trouble putting their faith in other people. Adult
avoidants are wary of approaching others too closely. They struggle to build close
relationships or to be vulnerable.

Dismissive avoidant attachment and fearful avoidant attachment are the two varieties of
insecure-avoidant attachment. Both avoidance patterns are characterized by a lack of trust in
others. People who avoid dependence on others or letting others depend on them find it
uncomfortable. As a result, they keep their distance from other people. The attachment
anxiety of the two avoidant styles, specifically whether they believe they are lovable or
deserving of love, varies. Low anxiety is common in people with dismissive-avoidant
attachment styles. Because they don't have faith in other people, they believe they are
deserving of love but downplay the value of relationships. A fearful avoidant attachment
style, on the other hand, is characterized by high levels of anxiety. They feel unworthy of love
and shy away from intimacy out of concern for being unloved.

A child's avoidant attachment occurs when their emotional needs are repeatedly not met. A
parent or other primary caregiver may do this if they reject the child or are emotionally
unavailable to them. Children learn to be distrustful of others and avoid relying on them. For

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example, teaching children that “ Boys do not cry’’ leads to the formation of psychopathology
because even if a boy is suffering from something he can not show his emotions because he
carries the name that ‘‘Boys do not cry’’. Individuals with an avoidant attachment style tend
to have difficulty forming close and intimate relationships. They often have a fear of rejection
and abandonment, leading them to avoid emotional closeness and vulnerability. This
avoidance of emotional connection can result in a lack of social support and difficulty in
seeking help or reaching out for support during times of distress.

AMBIVALENT ATTACHMENT STYLE

The ambivalent attachment style, also known as anxious-preoccupied attachment, can

contribute to the formation of psychopathology in several ways. Individuals with an
ambivalent attachment style typically have a strong desire for closeness and intimacy but also
experience high levels of anxiety and fear of rejection in relationships. Usually, the
caregiver(s)' inconsistency is what leads to anxious ambivalent attachment. These parents
may have been aware of their children's cues on the one hand, but they may also have been
dismissive or harsh with them on the other. For instance, when a baby cries out for attention,
a caregiver might sometimes rush to meet that need, but other times they might decide that
it's better for the baby to soothe themselves by crying out on their own, in which case they
might ignore the baby's cries. When a child exhibits this behavior, it's possible that they begin
to perceive their caregiver's actions as unpredictable. The child begins to experience conflict
over how their caregiver will react to them as a result.

The child is content and joyful when their parent is paying attention; however, when they are
not, the child is perplexed. Because of this, the child may begin to exhibit ambivalent
attachment patterns and behaviors. They may harbor mistrust for their caregiver, but they also
cling to them out of desperation for attention and the satisfaction of their emotional needs.
There are a variety of potential explanations for why parents of children with ambivalent
attachment behave in the way that they do, one of which is maintaining a pattern of behavior
resulting from their own anxious attachment style. When it comes to meeting their child's
needs, ambivalent parents frequently act inconsistently and unpredictably. Also more
conscious of their own needs than those of their children because they probably didn't get the
love they needed as children. They are untrustworthy in their child's eyes On some occasions,
loving and affectionate, but harsh on others.

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In conclusion, I can conclude by stating that it is important to understand that attachment
styles are not deterministic and do not ensure the emergence of psychopathology. They are
just one of many variables that can affect someone's psychological health.

REFERENCING LISTS

Rholes, W. S., Simpson, J. A., & Friedman, M. (2006). Avoidant Attachment and the
Experience of Parenting. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(3), 275-285.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167205280910

Fonagy, P., & Campbell, C. (2016). Attachment theory and mentalization. The Routledge
handbook of psychoanalysis in the social sciences and humanities, 19-21.

Cassidy J, Berlin LJ (1994). The insecure/ambivalent pattern of attachment: theory and

research. Child Dev, 65(4), 971-91

Pamela Li, (2023). Avoidant Attachment; Understand How It Affects Relationships,1.

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Turnitin Originality Report

 Processed on: 12-Oct-2023 1:18 AM CAT

 ID: 2192922479
 Word Count: 1268
 Submitted: 1

psych By Siyanda Shandu

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