Attachment theory

Attachment theory is a view of child to adult psychological development put forwards by John Bowlby and others which explores the impact of early relations with the primary carer (typically, and in this article, given as the mother).

The theory centres on the closeness between the mother and the child and how the bond, or lack of one, effects the child's view of the world and thus how the child comes to engage with it.

At the heart of the theory lies a paradox. It has been observed that children with very close attachments to the mother are also the most able to express their independence. The theory gives compelling reasons as to why this should be.

Mary Ainsworth is a developmental psychologist who devised an experiment, called The Strange Situation to observe attachment relationships between mother and child.

The Strange Situation

In this experiment the child is observed playing for 20 minutes whilst carers and strangers enter and leave the room, recreating the flow of the familiar and unfamiliar present in most children's lives. The situation varies in stressfulness and the child's responses observed. The child experiences the following situations:

1. Being in the playroom with mother.
2. A stranger enters to join them both.
3. The mother leaves, leaving the child with the stranger.
4. The stranger leaves, leaving the child alone.
5. The stranger returns to be with the child.
6. Mother returns to be reunited with the child.

Two things are scrutinised:

1. The amount of exploration (eg playing with new toys) the child engages in throughout.
2. The child's attachment to (ie behaviour towards) the mother.

Through observing child behaviour during this experiment, attachment relationships have been classified into three categories.

The 3 categories of attachment

Secure attachment

This is the ideal state. A child becomes securely attached when the mother is available and able to meet the needs of the child in a responsive and appropriate manner.

In the experiment such a child will explore freely whilst the mother is present, will engage with strangers, will be visibly upset when mother departs and happy to see the mother return.

Anxious ambivalent insecure attachment

This state develops from a mothering style which is engaged but on the mother's own terms. That is to say that sometimes the child's needs are ignored until some other activity is completed and that attention is sometimes given to the child more through the needs of the parent than from the child's initiation.

In the experiment the child is anxious of exploration and strangers even when the mother is present. When the mother departs the child is extremely distressed and on her return is ambivalent - seeking to remain close to the mother but resentful, and also resistent when the mother initiates attention.

Anxious avoidant insecure attachment

This form of attachment develops from a mothering style which is more disengaged. The child's needs are frequently not met and the child comes to believe that communication of needs has no influence on the mother.

In the experiment the child will avoid or ignore the mother - showing little emotion when the mother departs or returns. The child will not explore very much regardless of who is there. Strangers will not be treated much differently from the mother. There is not much emotional range displayed regardless of who is in the room or if it is empty.

The secure base

The theory says that children are best able to explore when they have the knowledge of a secure base to return to in times of need. When assistance is given this bolsters the sense of security and also, assuming the mother's assistance is helpful, educates the child in how to cope with the same problem in the future.

Adulthood

Building on the work of Bowlby and Ainsworth, other researchers have detected similar patterns of behaviour in adult relations with romantic partners and spouses. Securely attached people are able to place trust in their partner which, in turn, means they can confidently spend time apart. However, insecurely attached people may tend to jealousy and be reluctant to allow their partner freedom, becoming clingy and needy.

Such patterns are usually established in infancy, the adult growing up to have adult relations which reflect the level of attachment they had with the mother.

Sources

• This article is drafted entirely from a reading of the text of which is designed to help legal workers involved with child placements.

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