How Early Childhood Attachment Influences Our Adult Relationships

Abstract

Physical Attachment: According to Erikson's theory of trust/mistrust - a sense of trust is built when a child is provided with physical comfort. The child develops a sense of trust in his /her surroundings. They perceive the world as a safe and secure place.

On the Contrary: If parents are unresponsive to the needs of a child, it will create a sense of anxiety and mistrust. If they are treated cruelly or their needs are not met appropriately, they will likely grow up with a sense of mistrust for the people surrounding them . This could affect their relationships in the future.

Secure attachment: A child who will be given secure attachment during childhood will feel understood, safe, and valued. They will tend to become more confident and will be able to maintain their relationships more effectively.

Insecure attachment: Children who experience insecure attachment like physical abuse are likely to develop anxiety in the future, hence will face difficulty in trusting others, and will experience anxiety in relationships. Infants with insecure attachments often grow into adults who have difficulty connecting to others, limiting their ability to build and maintain stable relationships. 

Strange Situation Experiment By Mary Ainsworth 

Ainsworth Strange Situation is a psychological experiment that tests the attachment of infants to their primary caregiver. It tests their anxiety levels and associated behaviors when separated from their mother and when interacting with a stranger 

The Strange Situation Experiment took place in a small room with one-way glass and cameras. The child was unfamiliar with the room, but it was filled with toys and books that encouraged exploration and play. 

The infants used in the experiment were between 12 and 18 months old, from middle-class families, and lived at home with their mother, who was the primary caregiver. The experiment had eight "episodes" in total and involved the mother, the child, and a female research assistant who was a stranger to the child. The researchers observed through the glass and recorded the interactions with multiple cameras.

Strange Situation Experiment Procedure: 

The procedure with each mother/child pair followed the following episodes:

Ainsworth's Attachment Styles: 

The scores from the experiment were used to categorize the infant attachments into four styles. They represent varying levels of security in the child's relationship with their mother, and their confidence in her support. 

Secure Attachment: 

The first type of attachment is called secure, and 65-75% of the infants tested fell into this category. These infants showed they were confident in their mother's care and responsiveness. 

They were more likely to cry when the mother left the room and showed higher separation anxiety. They recognized when their mother came back and accepted her comfort, and then were able to return to play after calming down. They avoided stranger when they were alone with them, but engaged when their mother was present. 

Insecure Avoidant Attachment: 

The insecure-avoidant attachment made up 10-15% of the babies in the study. These children lacked confidence that their mother would be consistently available for comfort if they needed it. 

Conclusion: The securely attached baby, because his mother has been responsive to his signals, has built up expectations that his mother, even though absent, would be accessible if searched for, responsive to signals across a distance, and reliable in returning within the time span of absences to which he has become accustomed 

This creates a sense of trust and during adulthood, a person feels less insecure in their relationships of any kind whether parental or spouse 

How to build secure attachment in childhood - 

1) Be responsive to your child needs and initiatives 

2) validate their feelings and emotions 

3)more physical comfort for creating a sense of trust

Attachment-Based Theory 

It is used to help people struggling with a wide range of mental health problems and relationship issues especially childhood trauma and relationship 

Attachment-based therapy is a style of counseling that can be used to treat mood disorders, anxiety disorders, unresolved childhood trauma, and relationship issues. This approach aims to help people address and resolve past traumas and attachment wounds that stem from childhood.1 Attachment-based therapists believe that these issues are at the root of common psychological issues and relationship problems. 

Why is it used? 

Some of the problems related to insecure attachment styles are present in childhood and can include issues like separation anxiety, tantrums, and low self-esteem. Bowlby and Ainsworth also believed that attachment issues follow people into adulthood, leading to increased risk for anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and relationship problems. Some examples of problems linked to insecure attachment include codependent relationships, avoidant behaviors, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and personality disorders. 

When is it used? 

Attachment-based therapy is more commonly used with children and teens who present with social, emotional, or behavioral problems. 

Attachment-based family therapy might be especially helpful for children and teens who: 

Have been placed in foster care or up for adoption 

Experienced separation from a caregiver 

Were victims of abuse or neglect 

Had a parent or caregiver die 

Had their parents divorced or separate 

Had a parent or caregiver with a mental illness or addiction

References: 

1. https://www.verywellmind.com/trust-versus-mistrust-2795741) ERIKSON THEORY OF TRUST AND MISTRUST,https://www.verywellmind.com/attachment-styles-2795344 2. SECURE AND INSECURE ATTACHMENT 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/therapy-types/attachment-based-therapy (ATTACHMENT BASED THERAPY)