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  • Essay / Research on the concept and applications of attachment theory

    Table of contentsBasic theoretical principles of the theoryThe theoretical view of development and developmental problemsCompatibility with the priorities and values ​​of social workBasic theoretical principles of theoryAttachment theory explains the dynamics of long-term relationships, particularly those between infants and their caregivers. The theory explains the response between two loved ones. Attachment in infants involves the closeness they seek for a caregiver when they are in trouble, hoping that they will be protected from it. When a person's attachment caregiver is not reliably available and supportive, proximity seeking fails to relieve distress and the likelihood of later emotional problems increases. Bowlby's idea was that this bond – which he called attachment – ​​was a biologically grounded desire for closeness with an evolutionary basis. Attachment behavior is an instinctive behavior that keeps a baby close to its mother and promotes survival. More fundamentally, attachment behavior protects babies from predators by keeping them close to protective adults. Signaling (e.g. smiling, vocalizing) attracts the attachment figure nearby, showing interest in the interaction. The aversive (e.g. crying) brings the mother closer to end her distress. Approach/follow actively move the child towards the mother. As the child grows, the mother provides support when necessary and promotes autonomy when possible. Always available as a secure base. or attachment theory, the primacy of attachment does not show the priority of connection over survival. Attachment itself has a survival function. This ensures that the child will receive help in times of danger and develop life skills during times of safety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Theoretical View of Development and Developmental Issues Bowlby made three key propositions about attachment theory. First, he suggested that when children are raised with the confidence that their primary caregiver will be available to them, they are less likely to experience fear than those raised without such belief. Second, he believed that this trust is formed during a critical period of development, during the years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and that the expectations formed during this period tend to remain unchanged for the rest of the person's life. Finally, he suggested that the expectations that are formed are directly related to actual experience. In other words, children expect their caregivers to be responsive to their needs because, in their experience, their caregivers have been responsive in the past. The fundamental motivation of attachment theory is to maintain closeness with another person. In this way, around age 3, attachment styles are internalized and generalized into what Bowlby, in his later work, called “internal working models” – unconscious internal patterns that are enforced. to experiment. As noted in Chapter 1, one of Bowlby's primary motivations in developing attachment theory was to align psychoanalytic theory more closely with scientific findings and perspectives from related disciplines, such as ethology and psychology. cognitive. In this way, he thought, he could reform psychoanalysis and preserve the knowledge it offered, while modifyingformulations he considered untenable and based on outdated perspectives that needed to be replaced. Bowlby quotes the following passage from Klein's writings: Some children who, although good feeders, are not particularly greedy, very early show unmistakable signs of love and growing interest in the mother - an attitude which contains certain elements essentials of an object. -relationship. I have seen babies as young as three weeks old stop sucking for a short time to play with their mother's breast or look at her face. I also observed that young infants—even as young as the second month of age—during periods of wakefulness after feeding, they would lie on the mother's lap, look at her, listen to her voice, and respond with their facial expression; it was like a loving conversation between mother and baby. Such behavior implies that gratification is as much linked to the object that provides the food as to the food itself. Bowlby also notes Freud's flirtations - and these are only flirtations which are not developed further - with the idea that the infant's attachment to the mother may be independent of both the reduction of hunger and pleasures. erogenous zones. As we saw in Chapter 8, Freud (refers to the "affectionate current" which is addressed to "members of the family and those who take care of the child" and "corresponds to the choice of primary object of the child". The first 3 years are a very sensitive period for attachment, the pre-attachment phase goes from birth to 6 weeks. During this period, the baby's innate signals attract the caregiver (panting, crying. , smile). Babies recognize their mother's smell, voice and face, but they are not attached to it. For the mother, they do not mind being left with unfamiliar adults. Attachment in the creation phase lasts from 6 weeks to 8 months, the infant responds differently to a familiar caregiver than to strangers The infant learns that his or her actions affect the behavior of those around him and begins to develop a “. feeling of trust” in which they expect the caregiver to respond when signaled. The clear attachment phase from 6 to 8 months to 18 months to 2 years, babies show separation anxiety, child shows distress when present. the mother leaves, but if the caregiver is supportive and sensitive, the anxiety is short-lived. Finally, the formation of a reciprocal relationship lasts from 18 months to 2 years. A toddler is able to understand some of the factors that influence parents' comings and goings and predict their return. He is less dependent on his caregiver and realizes that he will come back when the child needs him. There are four different attachment styles: secure, avoidant, and resistant. , avoiding insecure and disorganized/disoriented attachment. Secure attachment occurs when the baby is upset when the caregiver leaves and happy when the caregiver returns, avoids strangers if the caregiver is not there, but is okay with strangers when the caregiver is present. Uncertain resistance occurs when there are many problems when separation occurs, and she fears strangers, clings to her caregiver, and rejects the caregiver when she returns. The caregiver's behavior is inconsistent and the child feels angry and confused. The insecure avoidant does not care about the mother's absence and does not respond to the caregiver when she returns and strongly avoids the caregiver and stranger. The caregiver's behavior is insensitive and the child feels unloved or rejected. Disorganized and insecure attachment means the baby has no consistent way to cope.