Application of Attachment Theory

This assignment involves a comprehensive analysis of attachment theory and its application across different disciplines. It requires the student to explore the concept of attachment theory, its development, and its relevance in understanding human behavior and relationships. The student is expected to provide a detailed discussion on how attachment theory can contribute to efficacy in fields such as psychology, socialization, education, and more. This assignment aims to assess the student's ability to think critically and apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios.

Psychology

INTRODUCTION
The following report will aim to provide an understanding of theories and evidence of the
development of attachment and sociability in infants and children. In this context, the board
game for toddler has been selected which is Yo Ho Berry. The game is specifically designed for
toddlers up to 3 years. The definition of term attachment and sociability will be discussed in the
assignment and with the help of several studies, methods used in attachment and development of
attachment bonds will be described. Eventually evaluation of the study will be made in this
assignment.
TASK 1
1.1 and 2.1 Defining attachment and sociability
Attachment
Attachment refers to strong and long lasting bond between a baby and his or her
caregiver. Secure attachment develops in response to consistent and sensitive love and care in the
first months. In order to develop feelings of love and affection in infants, it is crucial for his or
her parents or caregiver to provide effective and efficient care to them (Holmes, 2014). The
quality of the infant-parent attachment is a powerful predictor of a child's later social and
emotional outcome. By definition, a normally developing child will develop an attachment
relationship with any caregiver who provides regular physical and/or emotional care, regardless
of the quality of that care (Clifford, 2017). Child can develop a type of behaviour according to
the care he or she has been provided with. In order to develop cognitive, behaviour skills and
sociability in infant, it is important for parents or care giver to give him precise kind of care.
Sociability
Sociability refers to the quality of being social. Sociability in infants can be seen through
the interaction and communication they made with parents, their friends or care giver. Sociability
describes the extent to which other find interaction with an infant enjoyable and enticing. In
order to eliminate isolation in children, it is important for parents and caregivers to interact with
infants and communicate with them so that their social skills can be develop (Flores and Porges,
2017). Social skills are very important for children as it helps them to share their thoughts,
beliefs and values with others and it will further aim to improve their social skills effectively and
efficiently. Sociability can be enhance in infants if parents and caregivers play games with them,
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increase their knowledge through interactive board games and improve their communication
skills by interacting with other infants.
TASK 2
The title of the game is “Yo Ho Berry”. It is an interactive game which is specifically
designed for children under age 3 year. This game comes with the game board, baskets that are
inserted into the game board, a spinner, and the individual pieces plastic of fruit. Each person
will take turns spinning the spinner and adding the specified number of berries (or other fruit) to
their basket. The questions will be asked to the parents of infants who have been provided with
this game. Analysis of their responses will be segregated into three parts and these questions will
relates to the theories and studies conducted by psychologists.
1.3 Methods used in attachment research
Question 1: Does the behaviour of child will change if they were kept away from biological
mothers?
Answer: The question was based on Harlow Attachment theory where he separated a rhesus
monkey from his biological mother within 6 to 12 hours before born to analyse what will happen
to his behaviour (Sroufe, 2016). In this regard, the researcher has asked to parents of infants
whether behaviour of child will change if they separated from them. Parents said that their
behaviour will surely change if they never interact with their child.
Question 2: What changes can be seen in the behaviour of infant after being separated from
parents?
Answer: After being separated from parents, infants can react differently according to the care
they have been provided with. If they have provided with harsh care, they will get anxious and
furious on problematic situations. If they have been provided care with love and affection, they
will have calm and serene behaviour.
Question 3: If your child has been taken from you just after born, does he or she will still
consider you as mother or parent?
Answer: The question is based on experiment conducted by Lorenz in 1935 where he took away
eggs of geese before hatching (Shaver, 2017). He wants to acquire the information about
consequences of imprinting both for short term or long term survival. In this context, the parents
said that their child would not consider them as parents. Once imprinting has occurred it cannot
be reverse.
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Question 4: If your child and taken child has been mixed in a box, does both the child will
come towards you?
Answer: Lorenz put geese in the box in order to assess the occurrence of imprinting (Johnstone
and Feeney, 2015). The outcome derived was predicted as half of geese go to their original
mother and half towards Lorenz. The parents responded that if child has been taken away after
born, he or she will consider the caregiver as parent will go towards him instead of them.
Question 5: Will your child feel secure if stranger tries to interact with him or her in your
absence?
Answer: The question is based on the experiment conducted by Ainsworth in 1970 where he
used structured observational research to assess and measure the quality of attachment (Wang,
Noe and Fan, 2017). In this context, the question has been asked by the parents if their child feel
secured if they are playing Yo Ho Berry and stranger try to interact with them without mother
presence. Some said that they might feel insecure as they were taught to never to talk to stranger
while some said that they will feel secure as they were engaged in game.
Question 6: How will your child react after your return?
Answer: In the experiment conducted by Ainsworth, he classified his observation in 8 stages.
The eight and last stage of the experiment is where mother and child unite with each other.
Parents said that if they kept their engagement in game, they will show no or little reaction. If
they are not comfortable with stranger they will become happy after reuniting with mother.
Question 7: Does maternal separation or deprivation in child early life caused permanent
emotional damage?
Answer: The question is based on the experiment conducted by Bowlby in 1944 where he
conducted research on 44 juvenile thieves or delinquents in the clinic (Fonagy and Target, 2014).
The aim was to analyse whether there is long or permanent damage on emotions of child if he or
she has been separated from mothers for 5 years. In the conclusion of the study, it was identified
that majority of juveniles shows affection less behaviour. This implies that permanent damage
can be seen if child is separated from mothers in their early life.
Question 8: Does your child become affectionless or emotionless if being separated from you
at early life?
Answer: The question has been asked to the parents of infants in order to gather their opinion to
justify the theory proposed by Bowlby. In this context, some parents said that if appropriate care
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has been provided to them with love and affection, they tend to develop good personality and
will not become emotionless. Some said that they will become emotionless or affectionless if
proper care has not been provided to them.
Question 9: Does child learn for observing others?
Answer: The question is based on the Social learning theory proposed by Dollard and Miller in
1941 (Bowlby, 2017). They emphasis on learning through observation. A child learn from
observing others and in this regard the question has been asked to the parents to gather their
reviews for the same. The parents responded that child learns through observation and by seeing
others in order to enhance his or her learnings.
1.2 Describing development of attachment of bonds
Question 1: In order to build attachment is it important to provide care to child by single
attachment figure (mother)?
Answer: The question is based on Bowlby evolutionary theory of attachment. He believes that in
order to develop attachment in the child, it is important to provide him or her care in his or her
early age by only one single figure of attachment which is mother. In this regards, the question
has been asked by the researcher to gather the reviews about it. The parents agreed with the
theory and enunciated that it is important to provide care by single figure attachment only.
Question 2: What is child most attached towards: one who feeds him or one who interacts with
him?
Answer: The question is based on the study conducted by Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson
in 1964 where they examined 60 babies for 18 months and analyse them in three stages which
were Stranger Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Social Referencing (Bosmans, 2016). It was
identified in the study that child is more attached towards who communicates with them
regularly. In this context, the parents responded that child is always attached towards who
communicates with them or play with them.
Question 3: In which stage child shows drastic transform in behaviour?
Answer: Parents responded that child shows anxiety when stranger enters and try to interact with
him. This increases anxiety in them and they begin to cry for their mothers.
2.2 Stages of socialisation
Question 1: What is primary socialisation?
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Answer: Primary socialization (or primary socialisation) in sociology is the period early in a
person's life during which they initially learn and build their selves through experiences and
interactions around them (Hart, Bizer and Collins, 2015).
Question 2: What is secondary socialisation?
Answer: Secondary socialization. Secondary socialization refers to the process of learning what
is the appropriate behaviour as a member of a smaller group within the larger society.
TASK 3
1.2 Evaluating Purpose of attachment bonds
Bowlby said that attachment can be seen in evolutionary context where a care giver
attempts to provide safety, security and care to an infant. He contends that attachment is
necessary as it enhances the chance of survival of infant. According to Bowlby infants have a
cosmopolitan demand to desire close propinquity with their caregiver when under stress or
threatened. Attachment bonds in infants are very important and crucial in their early years. It
helps in transforming the behaviour of child and enhance his or her sociability. The major
purpose of attachment is to develop good behaviour in child. This can be said by comprehending
the study conducted by Bowlby (44 thieves) (Paetzold and Rholes, 2015). It was identified that
child became emotionless due to separation at early stages. The purpose of attachment is to
enhancing sociability in child. It was identified in the study conducted by Schaffer and Emerson
that child attachment increases towards the person who communicate and interact with him.
Thus, attachment enhances sociability of child.
1.3 Conclusion reached in attachment research
From the attachment research conducted by the philosophers and researchers, it can be
concluded that it is important for caregivers or parents of infant to provide adequate and precise
care in his or her early years. This is important to improve the behaviour of child and increase his
or her social skills (LeVine, 2014). It was further identified that child is attached towards those
whom makes most of the interaction with him rather than who feeds him. Separation plays
crucial role at early stages as it can affect the psychology of the child and makes him
affectionless and emotionless. It was identified that imprinting has consequences both for short
term survival and long term in attachment. Thus, it implies that attachment plays crucial role in
early stages of life. A child is attached towards the person who interact and communicate and
plays with him. He or she can became anxious in the presence of stranger and absences of
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mother. According to the social leaning theory proposed by Dollard and Miller (1941), a child
learns from the surrounding through observation. Young children learns from the observation
irrespective of the person who feeds him or her. They tends to play, interact and communicate
with those persons only.
1.4 Maternal deprivation hypothesis
In the 44 thieves experiment, Bowlby's identify that separation can negatively impact on
child. In the experiment he identified that mostly children became aggressive and emotionless
after being separated from their mothers or parents. Maternal deprivation hypothesis was
supported by Bowlby. A study conducted on 250 women who were separated from mothers
either due to separation or death before they turned 17. Due to separation of mothers due to any
reason increases risk of anxiety disorder and depressive in adult women. The rate of depression
was more in those women whose mother passed away before they reached age of 6 (Matias,
O’Connor, Futh and Scott, 2014). Bowlby's ideas in theories proposed in 1944 and 1956 greatly
affects the researchers thought about attachments and much of the discussion of his theory
concentrates on monotropy. Attachment to mother remains unique and strongest attachment for
child and infant at early year. Separation creates an adverse effects which increases anxiety and
depression in the young children.
Strength and weakness of Bowlby's 44 thieves experiment
Strength
 Maternal Deprivation hypothesis has been supported in the research conducted by
Bowlby. There were clear evidence in the experiment that children who were separated from their
mother became thief and stole and some became affectionlesss psychopath.
Weakness
 It only found correlation between separation and affects on children
 There maybe some other reason due to which children became affectionless psychopath.
2.3 Theories of socialisation
The theories of socialisation are: Psychodynamic theory: Sigmund Freud was first to develop the psychodynamic theory
where he proposed that early year was very important for developing mental and
cognitive abilities (Grusec and Hastings, 2014). For example, it can be link with primary
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socialisation where at initial stage a child try to understand and interact with one whom
he or she is attached with. Looking glass self: The theory proposed by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902. The concept
of the theory was to check how the identity is formed. The theory emphasis on creating
personal identity of person while interacting with each other. The looking-glass self is a
social psychological concept stating that a person’s self grows out of society’s
interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bosmans, G., 2016. Cognitive behaviour therapy for children and adolescents: Can attachment
theory contribute to its efficacy?. Clinical child and family psychology review, 19(4),
pp.310-328.
Bowlby, R., 2017. Growing Up with Attachment Theory—A Personal View. Psychodynamic
psychiatry, 45(4), pp.431-439.
Clifford, M.D., 2017. Four Events in the Life of John Bowlby: Their Contribution to the
Development of Attachment Theory. Attachment, 11(1), pp.51-72.
Flores, P.J. and Porges, S.W., 2017. Group Psychotherapy as a Neural Exercise: Bridging
Polyvagal Theory and Attachment Theory. International Journal of Group
Psychotherapy, 67(2), pp.202-222.
Fonagy, P. and Target, M., 2014. Psychoanalytic theories: Perspective from developmental
psychopathology. Routledge.
Grusec, J.E. and Hastings, P.D. eds., 2014. Handbook of socialization: Theory and research.
Guilford Publications.
Hart, J., Bizer, G.Y. and Collins, C.K., 2015. Attachment theory as a framework for explaining
engagement with Facebook. Personality and Individual Differences, 77, pp.33-40.
Holmes, J., 2014. The search for the secure base: Attachment theory and psychotherapy.
Routledge.
Johnstone, M. and Feeney, J.A., 2015. Individual differences in responses to workplace stress:
the contribution of attachment theory. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(7),
pp.412-424.
LeVine, R.A., 2014. Attachment theory as cultural ideology. Different faces of attachment:
Cultural variations on a universal human need, pp.50-65.
Matias, C., O’Connor, T.G., Futh, A. and Scott, S., 2014. Observational attachment theory-based
parenting measures predict children’s attachment narratives independently from social
learning theory-based measures. Attachment & human development, 16(1), pp.77-92.
Paetzold, R.L. and Rholes, W.S., 2015. Attachment theory and methods for meanings of couple
intimacy. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 15(1), pp.414-417.
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Richards, K.A.R., 2015. Role socialization theory: The sociopolitical realities of teaching
physical education. European physical education review, 21(3), pp.379-393.
Shaver, P., 2017. Attachment to Attachment Theory. Voices: Journal of the American Academy
of Psychotherapists, p.35.
Sroufe, L.A., 2016. Attachment theory: A humanistic approach for research and practice across
cultures. In Attachment Across Clinical and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 23-49). Routledge.
Wang, S., Noe, R.A. and Fan, J., 2017. The Development of Mentoring Relationships: An
Attachment Theory Perspective. In Research in Personnel and Human Resources
Management (pp. 53-101). Emerald Publishing Limited.
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