What is the theory of attachment?
The theory of attachment is a psychological concept that states that the type of infants in the style of connection with the carers can cause great lifelong effects. The “connection” refers to the emotional bond that the child creates with his main carers. According to this theory, it is more reliable and soothing carer, the higher the probability that the child will feel trusting other people and safely in his surroundings. If the caregivers do not adequately respond to infants at these times, according to bowlby, infants will not feel protected or safety, and these feelings of uncertainty will affect their social interaction with others when the Develop.
Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth has expanded to include the foundations of Bowlby's theories of attachment and developed an experiment known as a "strange situation". This is a procedure in which a child is observed for approximately 20 minutes. During this period, the child's caregiver systematically leaves and returns. The child's reactions are carefully observed when they see how it acts when the caregiver during the periodSeparation and reunion.
It came to the conclusion that children tend to fall into one of the four types of attachments. "Safe attachment" describes a child who is anxious if the caregiver leaves, but is satisfied when the caregiver returns. This type of attachment means that the child trusts the carer. "Eventual uncertain attachment" is when the child is very upset when the caregiver leaves, but when the caregiver returns attention; This is considered a result of a carer that is attentive only at a time when it is advantageous for him.
Another type of attachment is "anxious avoidance of uncertain attachment" or a child that seems remotely from his carer and ignores the caregiver during the meeting. This generally occurs when the caregiver is often inattentive and the child believes that the interaction is futile when meeting its needs. The final style is called "disorganized attachment" in which d isthe man upset when it is separated from its carer, and can freeze, swing back and forth, or even hit when it meets again; Children whose caregivers have experienced heavy trauma and were depressed at the time of the child's birth, tend to have this type of attitude.
Critics of the theory often say that there is no evidence that the style of attaching a child with its caregiver prevents the child from shaping to the Friends or Lovers. Critics may believe that uncertain attachment can lead a person to desperately try to create a safe attachment with another person because he has never been able to experience it with a caregiver.