Question:

Discuss the importance and value of early attachments in a lifelong relationship.

It is fascinating to watch how humans grow and connect with others. Without being able to interact at a level that allows for social interaction, we are unable function effectively within our society.

This module is notable for its importance in facilitating social interaction.

This essay will help you examine the impact of childhood attachments on how we connect with others later in life.

We will talk about how attachment develops. How early relationships form and how that might impact quality attachment.

Answer to Question: PSY123 Mind To World

Many psychologists argue that early attachments have an impact on how a person forms a relationship in the future.

If the baby is in a helpless state, it is only through the emotional bond that the caregiver and infant form that the baby can receive its basic needs met.

This attachment is the driving force behind their future cognitive, emotional and social development (Lamb (2013)).

Attachment is a strong, enduring emotional relationship that binds people.

This essay will discuss the importance of early attachments in forming long-lasting relationships.

According to the continuity hypothesis, there is an unifying principle between emotional attachments in childhood and relationships later in life. Additionally, it observes that the attachment style of an individual in childhood will be reflected in later relationships.

Bowlby’s internal working model of monotropic supports this idea.

Bowlby defines attachment as monotropic. It means infants are naturally inclined to form an emotional bond with a person.

They form an attachment with their infants that is strong and will serve as a template for future relationships.

This model will help the infant to expect similar relationships from others (Ludolph and 2012).

This internal working framework is based upon infants’ early attachments. It will influence the upcoming relationships over their lifetime.

Many attachment theories exist that can be formed in the infant’s early years. Ainsworth split these into secure, avoidant, and resistant, while he was conducting his’strange circumstance’ research.

Johnson’s book from 2014 revealed that Ainsworth had based his researches on the predictions of Bowlby Hazan and Shaver, and created an experiment called the ‘love test’ to explore the possibility that there is a consistency among the attachments that were built in childhood and those that are developed in later life.

This study found that those who were able to form a stable attachment in childhood were more likely than those who had insecure attachments to continue to have lasting relationships in adulthood. On the other hand, those who suffered from insecure attachments were more likely and more likely divorce.

This study strongly supports that early attachments are important in the formation of lasting relationships later in life.

Ainsworth’s research into attachment shows that adults have a similar attachment style to their childhood parenting style.

Ainsworth’s research indicates that infants’ attachment styles are directly related to the level and sensitivity of their caregivers, especially mothers (Bowlby&Ainsworth 2013).

How an individual develops in their later years of life will affect their relationships and approaches.

In adulthood, the child’s needs that were not met during childhood will be projected onto their partner through pressure or projection.

Each person has to go through a developmental phrase in their early lives. This allows the child to develop their expectations for how their childhood experiences will be reflected on later relationships (Martin Carlson & Buskist (2010)).

Each person requires a strong social engagement system to establish an attachment and other affiliative relationships.

This social engagement system is a result of the attachments an individual has to their caregivers from an early age. It will determine the context in which an adult will be able to regulate the arousal of stimuli and react accordingly.

It is important to establish strong relationships with caregivers from an early age.

This will result in a decrease in the ability of the brain to detect arousal and external stimuli. It will also affect how one develops healthy relationships and how they deal with stress (Comer Gould & Furnham 2013).

This social engagement system teaches children how to experience safety, as well to maintain a return to arousal. It also helps them to understand the Nervous System and their Autonomic nervous system (ANS).

This provides the foundation for all relationships in your life.

Kochanska-Sanghag’s 2013 research found that early attachments can have an impact not only on later relationships, but also on one’s behavior.

It was further revealed that 15 months of analysis is done on the relationships between children and parents in unusual circumstances with each parent.

It was found that children who are deemed ‘double secure’ (meaning they are equally attached with both parents) have more problems than those who have a secure attachment with just one parent (Karreman, Vingerhoets and Vingerhoets 2012.

According to the essay, early attachment plays a crucial role in the development of long-lasting relationships.

Ainsworth did extensive research and found that attachment types are divided into three main categories.

Ainsworth also suggests that the concept of consistency hypothesis and the internal working model have an impact on the attachments built in the early years.

Securely attached children are more likely have happy, long-lasting relationships than insecurely attached ones.

Refer toBowlby, J., & Ainsworth, M. (2013).

The origins of attachment theory.

Attachment Theory, Social, Developmental and Clinical Perspectives.Comer, R., Gould, E., Furnham, A. (2013).

Psychology, UK: Wiley and SonsHolmes, J. (2014).

The search for the secure foundation: Attachment theory, psychotherapy. Routledge.Johnson, S. (2014).

Attachment is the key to love.

Psychotherapy Australia, 20(2): 54.Karreman, A., & Vingerhoets, A. J. (2012).

Attachment and wellbeing: The mediator role of emotion regulation.

Personality & Individual Differences 53(7), 821-826.Kochanska, G., & Kim, S. (2013).

An early attachment organization with both parents.

Child development, 84.1, 283-296.Lamb, M. E. (2013).

Attachment to the mother infant: The origins and developmental importance of individual differences in Strange-Situation behavior. Routledge.Ludolph, P. S. (2012).

The special issue on attachment. Data and theories that are too broad.

Family Court Review, 51(3), 486-495.Martin, G.N., Carlson, N.R. &Buskist, W. (2010). Psychology. (4th Edition).

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