ATTACHMENT

ASSIGNMENT

Submitted by
Albert John Thomas
Attachment is the deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person
to another across time and space. It profoundly impacts our behaviour,
psychological development, and capacity to form subsequent relationships.

Attachment Theory
Pioneered by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, attachment theory proposes
that infants have an inborn need to form attachments with caregivers to enhance
their survival. Early interactions enable the development of either secure or
insecure attachment styles.

Types of Attachment Styles

Secure Attachment occurs when caregivers are responsive and emotionally
available. Securely attached infants use their caregiver as a "secure base" to
explore their environment.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment arises when caregivers are emotionally

unavailable or rejecting. These infants learn to suppress negative emotions and
avoid seeking comfort.

Insecure-Ambivalent/Resistant Attachment results from caregivers who are

inconsistently responsive. These infants become anxious and preoccupied with
the caregiver's availability.

Insecure-Disorganized Attachment develops when caregivers are frightening

or frightened, resulting in infants displaying contradictory behavior towards
their caregiver.
Attachment Across the Lifespan
While infant-caregiver attachments are primary, attachments continue forming
in childhood with other family members and peers. In adulthood, romantic
partners and close friends can become principal attachment figures.

Stages of Attachment include:

- Preattachment (0-6 weeks): Newborn instinctual behaviors
- Indiscriminate (6 weeks-7 months): Equal responding to all caregivers
- Discriminate (7-11 months): Preference for primary caregiver emerges
- Multiple (11+ months): Additional attachment figures formed

Internal Working Models

Early attachment experiences form internal working models - mental
representations about the self, others, and relationships. These models guide
expectations and behaviour in future relationships.

Attachment Impacts
Secure attachments foster resilience, regulation abilities, self-confidence, and
satisfying relationships. Insecure attachments increase risks for psychological
and interpersonal difficulties.

Overall, attachment is a powerful system that shapes emotional bonds, well-

being, personality development, and the capacity for close relationships
throughout life. Promoting secure attachments is thus enormously beneficial.