Table of contents:
- What is attachment theory in psychology
- What are the types of attachment
- Secure attachment
- Insecure attachment
- Evasive attachment
- Disorganized attachment
From a very young age we have felt a strong connection with those who cared for us. However, these connections do not always lead to appropriate relationships between the baby and his / her caregiver.
In the parks we can find great differences between the relationships that each of the boys and girls have with their parents. This union that infants develop, from the time they are babies, towards their caregivers, is what is known as attachment.
However, we must bear in mind that not all types of attachments are good and appropriate, but that while some can help infants to develop correctly, others can lead to problems in adulthood.
For this reason, in Psychology-Online we intend to explain each of the possible attachments that a baby can develop and how this will influence their future.
You may also be interested in: Attachment - Definition and Theories of Attachment Index- What is attachment theory in psychology
- What are the types of attachment
- Secure attachment
- Insecure attachment
- Evasive attachment
- Disorganized attachment
What is attachment theory in psychology
The human being needs to feel attached and have unconditional affective references that give him support. Without them, normal psychological development is not possible. There is what is considered a privileged relationship between the baby and its caregiver.
It should be borne in mind that attachment defines the feeling that a baby has towards its caregiver, but not the other way around, since what caregivers (usually mothers) develop towards babies is known as bond (bond).
Attachment appears between 6 and 8 months, which is when the baby recognizes its parents. In the following article you will find more information about the phases and development of attachment. There are a series of indicators in the behavior of babies which mark the existence of said attachment:
- Separation anxiety
- Anxiety about strangers
- Proximity behaviors (following their caregivers when they move away from them)
What are the types of attachment
Ainsworth was the first psychologist to design an experimental situation that would allow him to determine whether or not a child had attachment and, in turn, to be able to define the different types of attachment that existed. He established three different types of attachment, however in the 1980s one more was added to the list.
- Secure attachment.
- Insecure attachment
- Elusive attachment.
- Disorganized attachment
To explain the different types of attachment below, we must put our imagination to work to mentally recreate the experimental situations: a mother and her baby are in a room, the mother is sitting in a chair while the child plays.
Secure attachment
The child plays quietly while his mother is in the room, but this turns into crying when the caregiver gets up and leaves the room without taking him or her away. The crying of the baby is not exaggerated and, the moment the mother enters, it is interrupted. In this type of attachment the child will have no problem reestablishing the relationship with his caregiver. According to statistics, boys and girls who develop this type of attachment have better cognitive development.
These babies are able to get the comfort they need and demonstrate effectiveness, flexibility and resilience when faced with stressful situations. They are generally cooperative and show a low level of irritation.
If in their childhood, children have this type of attachment, as they develop, they will have enough confidence to have an active participation in society. In general, these types of boys and girls tend to have a broader and more varied vocabulary. They are more curious, competent, empathetic and resilient children who tend to get along better with other infants, so that they form much closer friendships, which will allow them to show a good social adjustment in the future.
Insecure attachment
This type of attachment is also known to professionals as anxious or ambivalent. The child will only interact with what surrounds him (in this case the toys) if his mother is very close to him. The moment the caregiver leaves the room, he will cry in an exaggerated way. It is considered ambivalent because of the child's reaction when the mother enters the room again, as he will first be angry with her for leaving him. After a few minutes what he will do is hold on to it and not let go.
Insecure attachment causes problems and difficulties in cognitive and learning development. They tend to have inhibitions and negative emotions in childhood, as well as hostility towards other people. Infants with this type of attachment are prone to behavioral problems and to develop psychiatric disorders from the age of 17. In the following article you will find Strategies for Infants with Behavioral Problems.
Evasive attachment
The minor is completely independent of his mother, he will be sure to explore his environment whether it is present or not. Also, when the mother leaves the place, she does not show any reaction, but continues to do her things. The same happens when the caregiver returns, the child does not react in a meaningful way. They are characterized by showing few emotions, whether positive or negative.
Disorganized attachment
The relationship of the boy or girl with their parents is as its name indicates: disorganized, because they do not know what behavior they should have towards their parents. It is considered that this type of attachment can develop in unstructured families or in those infants who are victims of abuse.
This type of attachment is the least secure of all, since infants seem to lack an organized strategy to deal with the stress that a strange situation can produce. They tend to show contradictory, repetitive or misdirected behaviors.
Disorganized attachment is a reliable predictor of later behavior and adjustment problems.
In the following article you will find more information about the consequences of each of the types of attachment.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Attachment Theory: Types and Development, we recommend that you enter our Evolutionary Psychology category.
Bibliography- Clemente, R. (2015). Evolutionary psychology II . Jaume I. University
- Hernández, C. (2015). Evolutionary Psychology. Jaume I. University
- Papalia, D (2012). Human development.