Attachment Theory & Adolescent Development

This assignment delves into the concept of attachment theory and how it influences adolescent development. It examines various aspects of adolescent life, such as identity formation, relationships with parents and peers, and emotional well-being, within the framework of attachment theory. The provided resources offer insights into different attachment styles, their origins, and the developmental trajectories they shape in adolescence.

Running head: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Evaluate the evidence that attachments in early childhood influence the formation of
relationships in adolescence and adulthood.
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
In a journal, which is published in 2013, Ainsworth (1973) and Bowlby (1969), put
forward attachment as an intense and sustaining inner bond that links one person to with over
now and then. This affectionate bond starts developing since infancy because the very first
relationship that a baby forms set a track for its way in which the individual will relate to
other people through the rest of his/her life. According to the attachment psychologists, the
prior relationships that a baby forms with the caregivers have an impact on the relationships
they will form in their future. However, from the continuity hypothesis the idea is clear that
there exists uniformity between the advanced emotional experiences, the future relationships
and the attachment types of the child, which is reflected in their later relationships (Lamb,
2013). Therefore, the aim of this essay is to evaluate the evidence, which states that
attachments in early childhood influence the formation of relationships in adolescence and
adulthood.
In 1970, Ainsworth came up with three attachment styles, which mainly concluded
that, these styles of attachments are the outcome of the early interactions of the baby with
their mother or caregiver (Schimmenti & Bifulco, 2015). In secure attachment, the children
who are securely attached can be calmed by figure of attachment when they are upset. Babies
progresses with a secure attachment when they find that their caregiver is attentive as well as
thoughtful to their signals and acknowledge their needs correctly. Such children usually grow
up as a confident person and even in their growing age, they have the trust that their
attachment figures are there like a safe base for them to investigate their surroundings and
can come to their attachment figures when they need them, especially in the times of distress
(Karreman & Vingerhoets, 2012). Another type is Ambivalent attachment style also called
insecure resistant where the child is found to have taken a doubtful behavioral style for their
close figure. The baby is found to have revealing a clingy as well as dependent behavior.
These types of children cannot gain any emotions of security from the close figures thus; are

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unable to investigate the environment as they find it very difficult to leave behind their
attachment figures. Lastly, avoidant attachment, children who are insecure avoidant do not
familiarize to their attachment figures when they are exploring their environment. These
types of children are mainly found to be independent of the attachment figure physically as
well as emotionally. Thus, when caregiver is rejecting the child or insensitive to their needs
then the children grow up with avoidant attachment style. These children never come up to
their attachment figures at the time of distress because most of the times the attachment
figures are not available at the times of need (Li & Chan, 2012).
Madigan et al., (2013), has stated that insecure attachment in early childhood with the
mother or their caregivers are associated with following relationships that are reflected
through their internalizing behaviors. Kochanska and Sanghag (2013) have stated that early
attachment of a child not only affects their relationships in the future but also affects their
behavior. This research shows the bonds among a child’s attachment security with their
parents are evaluated in strange situations with each of the guardian at around 15months. It
has been observed that children who are ‘double secure’ that means having attachment with
both parents are reported to have more issues and they were also assessed by their teachers as
having more manifested issues than those who seems to be secure with only one parent
(Kochanska and Sanghag, 2013). Fraley et al., (2013), Ainsworth’s study further found a link
between the attachment styles of the adults and their memory of the parenting style that they
received in their infancy stage. Simpson et al., in his research as found in the journal of
adulthood Koepke and Denissen (2012), stated that the research has been conducted over 25
years evaluating participants in four important features, which are infancy, early childhood,
adolescence and adulthood. The result reflected that those children who were surely attached
as infants were marked as having increased social competence. Moreover, socially competent
children at the age of 6-8years were found to have close relationships with their peers at the

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age of 16 and these children became more expressive and are emotionally attached to their
romantic partners (Holt et al., 2012).
However, from the above-discussed studies it is clear that childhood influences an effect
in the relationships built in adulthood or adolescence, which means that the nature of
relationships with their parents effect the attachment types as an adult (Hamilton, 2000). If
the case were not like that then the associations between infant styles of parenting and
relationship types in adolescence and adulthood would not have been competent as the above
researches show (McConnell & Moss, 2011). Thus, children who are having a secure early
childhood attachment learn to trust others that in return help them grow happy and healthy
relationships in adolescence as well as in their adulthood (Shaffer & Kipp, 2013). However,
further analysis is done and it has been seen that some view this early experiences as
‘deterministic’ in which the early attachment experiences have an established effect on the
subsequent adult relationships. Thus, children whose attachments are insecure during infancy
are destined to experience unsatisfactory emotional relationships in their adult life compared
to those who are having a secure attachment in their infancy to experience successful
relationships (Bendicsen, 2013). An individual is often seen to have engaged in many
relationships be it friendships or in a romantic affair which acts as an opportunity for
reconsidering mental models of self. Therefore, indicating that the impact of childhood acts
as an influence to the relationships of adolescent and adulthood is not a controlling factor.
Duchesne and Ratelle (2014) has been seen that it came in support for this ‘optimistic’ view
which says that there are exceptional among the adults who being in a insure relationships
with their parents composed children who are securely attached. It seems that they have
worked mentally over their unpleasant experiences, and presently have mental models of
relationships that are usually of a securely attached. However, there are critics as well who

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have critically evaluated the theories of attachment, which summaries that there is also nature
verses nurture assumption that is there.
Among the critics, the one who plays an important role is J.R Harris who believes that the
child’s personality and character are not shaped by the attachment that are formed in their
childhood with their parents or caregivers (Vicedo, 2014). Other factors are there apart from
the attachment with the parents that plays an important role as well. In the adolescent and
early adult phrase of a child’s lifespan peer have more impact than the parents do. Apart from
this the nature and nurture assumption also state that a apart from the attachment a child’s
future relationships also gets affected by the nature or the genes that the parents have
provided to him along with how they have nurtured their child. Kagan has also given an
alternative explanation in the journal of lamb in 2013 in which he has said that infants have
an inborn personality that make them become easy going or difficult that has an effect on the
quality of attachment they have with their parents or their caregivers. However, from this it
can be perceived that attachment develops as an outcome of temperament and not as an
inborn gene for attachment thus, contradicting with the theory proposed by Bowlby
(Goldberg, Muir & Kerr, 2013). Moreover, it can be further said from Kagan’s perspective
says that not only the attempts to build quality relationships by modifying the attachment
styles of individuals to more positive ones will be of any use as there are other points.
However, majority of the time it has been seen that the mother is perceived as the main
attachment figure but a along with her at the same time the father or may be a sibling can
have almost the equal amount of attachment with the child.
Thus, from the above discussion it can be concluded that evidences has supported that
attachment in early childhood does influences the relationship formations in adolescence and
adulthood. However, on the contradiction there are researchers who have perceived that apart
from just attachment styles there are other factors too which help a child shape their

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relationship in adolescence and adulthood. They continue by saying that apart from mother
the child can equally attach with the father or a sibling. Evidences say that there are three
types of attachment styles, which a baby experiences after birth from their mother or
caregiver and they are secure, insecure and avoidant attachment style and based on them they,
built an internal model, which helps them frame their future relationship. Thus, a child with
secure attachment style will learn to trust others and are more prone towards building healthy
relationships later in lifetime.

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References
Bendicsen, H. K. (2013). The Transformational Self: Attachment and the End of the
Adolescent Phase. Karnac Books.
Duchesne, S., & Ratelle, C. F. (2014). Attachment security to mothers and fathers and the
developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms in adolescence: which parent for
which trajectory?. Journal of youth and adolescence, 43(4), 641-654.
Fraley, R. C., Roisman, G. I., Booth-LaForce, C., Owen, M. T., & Holland, A. S. (2013).
Interpersonal and genetic origins of adult attachment styles: A longitudinal study from
infancy to early adulthood. Journal of personality and social psychology, 104(5), 817.
Goldberg, S., Muir, R., & Kerr, J. (Eds.). (2013). Attachment theory: Social, developmental,
and clinical perspectives. Routledge.
Hamilton, C. E. (2000). Continuity and discontinuity of attachment from infancy through
adolescence. Child development, 71(3), 690-694.
Holt, N., Bremner, A., Sutherland, E., Vliek, M. L. W., Passer, M., & Smith, R.
(2012). Psychology: the science of mind and behaviour.-. London [etc.] McGraw Hill
Higher Education9780077136406.
Karreman, A., & Vingerhoets, A. J. (2012). Attachment and well-being: The mediating role
of emotion regulation and resilience. Personality and Individual differences, 53(7),
821-826.
Kochanska, G., & Kim, S. (2013). Early attachment organization with both parents and future
behavior problems: From infancy to middle childhood. Child development, 84(1),
283-296.

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Koepke, S., & Denissen, J. J. (2012). Dynamics of identity development and separation–
individuation in parent–child relationships during adolescence and emerging
adulthood–A conceptual integration. Developmental Review, 32(1), 67-88.
Lamb, M. E. (2013). Infant-mother attachment: The origins and developmental significance
of individual differences in Strange Situation behavior. Routledge.
Li, T., & Chan, D. K. S. (2012). How anxious and avoidant attachment affect romantic
relationship quality differently: A meta‐analytic review. European Journal of Social
Psychology, 42(4), 406-419.
Madigan, S., Atkinson, L., Laurin, K., & Benoit, D. (2013). Attachment and internalizing
behavior in early childhood: A meta-analysis.
McConnell, M., & Moss, E. (2011). Attachment across the Life Span: Factors that Contribute
to Stability and Change. Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental
Psychology, 11, 60-77.
Schimmenti, A., & Bifulco, A. (2015). Linking lack of care in childhood to anxiety disorders
in emerging adulthood: the role of attachment styles. Child and Adolescent Mental
Health, 20(1), 41-48.
Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2013). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence.
Cengage Learning.
Vicedo, M. (2014). Attachment. In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 136-141).
Springer New York.