Understanding attachments during childhood can explain a number of psychological phenomenon apparent later in life. Attachments are formed in the first few years of life between a child and it's primary caretaker through everyday contact. There are three main types of attachment: secure, ambivalent, and avoidant.
A secure attachment is the healthiest style of attachment. An infant who has a secure attachment with her primary caregiver always tries to reamain close and feels that the caregiver equals security. Later in life, children with secure attachemnts as infants will generally develop normal, healthy relationships with others. In later relationships, these children generally have no problem becoming close with another person, nor do they fear abandonment. A secure attachment to the primary caregiver is the most common with about 70% of people and will eventually lead to normal, healthy relationships later in life.
An avoidant attachment describes one that is the opposite of a secure attachment in that the child tries to avoid the primary caregiver at all costs. In Mary Ainsworth's "Strange Situation" experiment, children were placed in an unfamiliar room with their mothers (or their primary caretaker) for a brief period of time. The child's behavior was observed and then the mother was asked to leave the room. The child's behavior was again observed in her/his mother's absence, and then again when the mother returned to the room. In children with avoidant attachments, the child immediately moved away from his mother to play with the toys in the room. When the mother of the avoidant child left the room, the child appeared more happy and relaxed, and when the mother returned, it once again avoided her/his mother. In most of these cases, Ainsworth concluded that these children were faced with some sort of abuse. Children who have avoidant attachments grow up to be very insecure in adult relationships and have difficulty maintaining secure attachements. These people find relationships threatening and view others as untrustworthy and are unable to depend on anyone else.
An anxious or ambivalent attachment is less serious than an avoidant attachment, but not as heathy as a secure attachment. Children in the "Strange Situation" experiment were generally very clingy when the mother was present, and could barely be comforted when she left the room. Once the mother of an ambivalent child returned to the room, the child exhibited anger towards the mother for leaving her/him. People with ambivalent attachments often idealize their relationships as well as their views of others. They are also jealous and possesive and tend to have many breakups and mood swings in adult relationships. |
