This document discusses attachment theory and the different types of attachment identified by Ainsworth: secure attachment, and two types of insecure attachment (ambivalent and avoidant). It also identifies a fourth type called disorganized attachment. Quality of attachment can be consistent or changeable based on life experiences. Characteristics like parental stress, responsiveness, marital status, mental health, and socioeconomic status can influence the attachment process. The consequences of attachment quality are explored, showing effects on relationships, self-esteem, and parenting styles. Harlow's monkey experiment demonstrated the importance of comfort over food for development. Understanding attachment helps make informed choices to support healthy relationships.

1. ATTACHMENT THEORY
KATRINA SOMMERFELD

2. ATTACHMENT IS AN EMOTIONAL BOND IN WHICH
A PERSONS SENSE OF SECURITY IS BOUND UP
IN THE RELATIONSHIP

3. THANKS TO AINSWORTH, WE HAVE A
SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH BETWEEN SECURE
ATTACHMENT AND TWO TYPES OF
INSECURE ATTACHMENT (AMBIVALENT, AND
AVOIDANT), WITH A FOURTH TYPE CALLED
DISORGANIZED/DISORIENTED ATTACHMENT

4. SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATTACHMENT
DISPLAYED IN YOUNG CHILDREN!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DH1m_ZMO7GU

5. QUALITY OF ATTACHMENT CAN BE EITHER
CONSISTENT OR CHANGEABLE
Waters, Treboux, Crowell, Merrick, and Albersheim noticed from a study that
when a person experiences a major upheaval, such as the death of a loved
one, a serious illness, or physical or sexual abuse, their attachment
classification changed over an interval of 20 years.
http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/courses/620/pdf_files/stability2000.pdf

6. THERE ARE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS THAT
INFLUENCE THE ATTACHMENT PROCESS
Biringen showed us that when parents who are too
stressed about their own work, school, finances,
family issues, etc. they might not realize that they
could be depriving their child of important
emotional bonds.

7. • Sometimes it’s the little things that go the long way.
Such as Smiling when a baby smiles, talking to him or
her when they are vocal, and comforting them when
they cry. Providing them with what is called contingent
responsiveness
• Studies have shown that when ANY type of insecure
attachment is present, a low level of parental
responsiveness is bound to be an ingredient
Parental Responsiveness

8. MARITAL & SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
• Infants whose
parents are
married are more
likely to have
secure
attachment.
It could be the marital staus, but also married
parents typically have more education, and are less
likely to be poor than parents in other groups

9. MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CAREGIVER
• Coulthard and Harris (2003) found that
babies who interact more with
depressed mothers express fewer
positive and more negative
emotions. Some are even resistant to
have their mothers nurse them.
• The problem with panicked mothers as
well as depressed mothers, is that they
exhibit behaviors that interfere with
synchrony.

10. LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES
OF ATTACHMENT QUALITY
• Not only are children with secure attachment more
prone to be more sociable, have more infinite
relationships, have better grades, and have higher self
esteem, but also, studies have found the very same
model of attachment we are raised in, is the one we
will be parenting our own children
Daniel Siegals book explains
this exceptionally!

11. Why the quest for healthy secure attachment??

12. WATCH HARLOW’S EXPERIMENT AND SEE
HOW THE BABY MONKEY IS MORE RELIANT
UPON RECEIVING COMFORT THAN EVEN
FOOD
• https://www.youtube.com/embed/_O60TYAIgC4

13. As we are more aware of the importance of
attachment in our lives, we will be able to
make better knowledge based decisions to
aid in securing healthy relationships.
Studying this has helped me to have a
vision of what type of attachment I would
want for my future children.

14. • The End