There’s a lot of talk lately about attachment styles. When visiting any social network, it is not difficult to find content that diagnoses anxious or avoidant attachment. The rise of the conversation around mental health has boosted the discourse around attachment styles, but in turn, it has increased disinformation and there´s little clarity about it. In this article we will talk about what is attachment, who developed the theory of attachment and what are the four styles proposed in the classical postulates.
What is attachment?
Attachment is an emotional bond that develops between human beings from the first years of life and influences the way we establish relationships and behave in the future. This bond is established through the interaction between the child and his or her caregivers, in which the caregiver responds to the needs of the child in a sensitive and consistent manner. If the child receives loving, respectful and responsible care, he develops a secure attachment that allows him to feel comfortable in emotional closeness with others. If experiences are negative and the caregiver responds insensitively or inconsistently, the child may develop an insecure attachment, which may manifest as anxious, avoidant, or disorganized. Attachment can influence how we interact with others throughout our lives, making it an important subject of study in psychology.
Psychologist John Bowlby was one of the first to investigate attachment, and his theory has been extensively studied and developed by other psychologists.
Who is John Bowlby?
John Bowlby (1907-1990) was a British psychoanalyst and psychologist known for his pioneering work on attachment theory. His theory states that the emotional bond between the child and his or her caregivers is crucial to the child’s emotional and social development, and that children who have safe and stable relationships with their caregivers will have better social and emotional adjustment in the future. In addition, Bowlby developed the theory that the human instinct of attachment originates in the need for protection and survival, which leads children to seek proximity and contact with caregivers. His ideas about attachment have been influential in psychology and how we understand human relationships.
Bowlby conducted several experiments and observations to develop his theory of attachment. One of the best known is the so-called "study of street children". In this study, Bowlby analyzed the development of emotional bonds in a group of children who had been separated from their families and lived in child care institutions. He noted that many of these children developed severe emotional and behavioral problems, which led Bowlby to conclude that early deprivation of the attachment figure can have lasting negative consequences on the emotional development of children. Another experiment Bowlby conducted was the "strange situation experiment," in which he observed the children’s reaction to separation and reunion with their caregivers in a controlled environment. This experiment allowed Bowlby to develop the idea that children with safe attachment often show a greater ability to explore their environment and to separate from their caregivers without excessive anxiety, while children with insecure attachment tend to be more anxious and reluctant to explore. These experiments and observations were instrumental in the development of attachment theory and in understanding the importance of emotional bonding in child development.
How does attachment develop?
According to Bowlby’s theory of attachment, the affective bond between the child and his caregivers begins to develop from birth and is crucial to the emotional and social development of the child. This bond is established through the interaction between the child and his or her caregivers, in which the caregiver responds to the needs of the child in a sensitive and consistent manner. As the child grows, he develops an internal mental model of his relationship with caregivers, based on his experiences. If the experiences are positive and the caregiver responds sensitively and consistently, the child will develop a safe attachment model, which will allow him to feel comfortable in emotional closeness with others. Conversely, if experiences are negative and the caregiver responds insensitively or inconsistently, the child may develop an insecure pattern of attachment, which may manifest as anxious, avoidant, or disorganized.
What are the four attachment styles?
According to the theory of attachment, there are four different styles of attachment: safe, anxious, avoidant and disorganized. Each of these styles is formed from a person’s early experiences with their caregivers and can influence how people interact with others throughout their lives.
Secure attachment: People with this type of attachment feel comfortable and secure in emotional closeness to others. They learned that they can rely on their caregivers to meet their basic needs, and that allows them to feel safe and at ease in a relationship. People with a secure attachment tend to be more independent, but they are also more likely to seek emotional support when they need it.
Anxious attachment: People with an anxious attachment often feel anxious and insecure in their relationships. They need more emotional closeness and attention than their partner or friends can provide. This can lead to more sticky or demanding behavior, which can make the relationship difficult. People with an anxious attachment may also have difficulty trusting others.
Avoidant attachment: People with avoidant attachment tend to avoid emotional intimacy. They learned that they could not rely on their caregivers to meet their emotional needs, so they became more independent and less likely to seek emotional support from others. People with avoidant attachment may have difficulty expressing their feelings and connecting emotionally with others.
Disorganized attachment: People with disorganized attachment often have experienced childhood trauma or violence. As a result, they may have difficulty trusting others and regulating their own emotions. They often feel caught between the need to seek emotional closeness and the need to avoid the pain and fear they may associate with it.
It is important to note that a person’s type of attachment can be influenced by later life experiences and is not necessarily limited to childhood. Also, the type of attachment can change over time and with therapy. It is not set in stone.
In conclusion, attachment is an important part of our relationships and can influence how we relate to others. While there are different types of attachment, it is possible to work on it through therapy and awareness of our own experiences and behavior patterns.
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