An Essay on Attachment Theory

 

Introduction

According to Aristotle, humans are social beings called to bonding and to relationships (Heatherton & Krend, 2009: 35).  Even from birth, an infant has already the propensity to respond to other human beings and form a social bond with them (Bowlby, 1988). These social relationships form part of their being and become foundational in their development. It also offers security and comfort especially when in proximity. For babies this relationship is ideally with the mother or another person who is his primary caregiver. Babies have this innate drive to make sure that they get what they need for food and security. The emotional environment present to the baby helps him organize plans as set goals to get what he wants (Bowlby, 1997: 350). In the field of psychology, this is called attachment.

What is Attachment Theory  

Attachment is a lasting emotional bond between human beings. Attachment theory argues that the bond humans form during our early and formative years in life is critical to development later in life. When a child’s bonding is strong and secure, it provides a solid positive foundation in exploring the world. The strong and safe base is always there to return to anytime. The more the baby is attached the freer is it to explore the social and physical worlds. (Thompson, & Meggit, 1977: 15) If the bond is weak, the person will be afraid to leave and explore the world because it may seem scary and unaccommodating and unsure to back him up when things go bad.

The Development of Attachment Theory  

The strongest theoretical influence in studies of infant-parent relationships is attachment theory, particularly the work of John Bowlby (1907 - 1990), a British psychoanalyst, and Mary Ainsworth. (Ainsworth & Bowlby. 1991 cited by Bee & Boyd. 2010: 2)

 Attachment Theory is a psychological set of concepts that explains a special bond between a child and a primary caregiver. It explains the tendency of a child to feel secure when the caregiver is present and to be anxious when the caregiver is absent. Through repeated experiences with caregivers infants develop internal working models that are cognitive-affective representations of attachment experiences, operating outside conscious awareness and becoming generalised and resistant to sudden change. (Bowlby, et al cited by Miner. 2009: 115) These internal working models of both self and others reflect the degree of security or insecurity experienced in the parent–child bond (Reinert & Edwards. 2014: 2).

Attachment in children have been classified into four: (a) Secure attachment happens when a child feels that his primary caregiver can provide their needs of proximity, emotional support and protection. (b) Anxious-ambivalent attachment is characterized when the child is unsure of the emotional bond he has with his caregiver. (c) Anxious-avoidant attachment is a product of an emotionally unavailable and unresponsive caregiver to the needs of the child.  (d) Disorganized attachment occurs when attachment behavior is not found between the caregiver and child. The first three were developed by Ainsworth and the last one by Main and Solomon (1990 cited by Murunga, et al 2017: 205).

Critical Evaluation  

A child has no control over his childhood and who takes care of him. As a matter of survival, attachment theory posits that a child learns how to develop his own set goals towards a primary caregiver. A growing body of literature, however, suggests that maternal behavior is not the exclusive predictor of mother–child attachment security, as other dimensions of parenting may also influence the mother–child attachment relationship (Cowan 1997; De Wolff and van Ijzendorn: 1997 cited by Pudasainee-Kapri & Razza: 2015: 3794). Razza (2015) was referring to Family Systems theory which focuses attention on other relationships within the family and suggests that these multiple, interdependent relationships create a sense of security within these relationships that may have important implications for the mother–child attachment relationship. Therefore, an adult’s attitude towards life is actually a product of a myriad of relationships from cooperative breeding and shared child care during his childhood. This expands the Bowlby–Ainsworth mother-centered model of attachment (Seymor. 2016: 116).

This expansion would make sense in the Asian context where extended families living in one household are common. Some commentators of the attachment theory urge that its claim concerning parental care and personality development should be reworked for each cultural setting that the attachment is being studied (Rothbaum, et al cited by Thompson & Virmani, 2010: 195).

The Christian Worldview

The Christian Scriptures continually affirm the need for attachment to God and to one another (Knabb. 2012: 833).  Kirkpatrick (1992) and Kirkpatrick & Shaver (1990 cited by Reinert & Edwards: 2014: 2 ) proposed that attachment theory can help explain religious dynamics among those who relate to a personal God, and found that among those who were securely attached to their parents, there was a corresponding attachment to God.

Although the relationship of a child in his early years to his parent predict his religiosity later in life, Knabb (2013) showed one third of children carry a problematic template of relationship from their childhood into adulthood. In an empirical study by Kirkpatrick & Shaver (1990), respondents who classified their childhood relationship with their mothers as avoidant were more religious as adults, according to several measures, than were those classifying their childhood relationships as secure or anxious/ambivalent. However, this pattern held only when the parents were reported as having been relatively nonreligious. The counselor can use these templates as an initial talking point to help the client cultivate a healthier relationship with God. For example, a client with ambivalent attachment style may feel that God is not to be trusted at all time and that he still needs to do something to get God’s attention.

Further, Reinert &. Edwards (2014: 7) suggested that counselors and spiritual guides may well be advised to recognize that concepts of the self and attachment history with parents may be related to how a person will tend to conceptualize God. Their study supports the notion that concepts of God and images of God are influenced by early attachments to key figures in one’s early life, as well as by how one eventually comes to view oneself.

Conclusion

Attachment is a very diverse topic to explain the complexity of human growth and development. Bowlby’s theory has helped pave the way for psychologist and psychodynamic scientists to explain a person’s tendency to behave the way he does in adulthood. Although research shows the limitations of attachment theory in predicting future outcomes in the holistic development of a person, this author believes that every new parent should be given the chance to understand the importance of establishing a strong secure attachment with the infant.

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