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The most important tenet of attachment theory is that a young child needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur n[r]

Attachment Theory Attachment Theory

Nunavik counselling and social work training program

Definition Definition

Attachment theory is a theory (or group

of theories) about the psychological concept of

attachment: the tendency to seek closeness to another person and feel secure when that person is present

The most important tenet of attachment theory is that a young child needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally

Definition Definition

Attachment is a life-long, distinct behavioral system whose goal is proximity to the primary caretaker In infancy this is accomplished through contact comfort

Healthy attachment brings love, security, and joy; unhealthy attachment brings anxiety, grief, and depression

unhealthy attachment brings anxiety, grief, and depression

All humans form attachments to their primary caregivers in order to survive (Bowlby, 1982 & 1988).

Key concept Key concept

The attachment theory was built by observing situation (Ainsworth and Bell in 1970).

Name the strange situation

The strange situation classification is an assessment technique in order to investigate how attachments might vary between children.

Strange situation Strange situation

Each situation comprised the following stages: Mother and child enter the room.

Mother and child are left alone; child can play with the toys. A stranger enters the room; talks to the mother.

Stranger approaches the child with a toy.

Mother leaves stranger alone in the room; stranger engages the child with toys.

Mother leaves stranger alone in the room; stranger engages the child with toys.

Mother returns; child’s response is noted. Child is left in the room on its own.

Stranger returns, tries to engage the child. Mother returns; child’s response is noted. The stranger leaves.

Strange situation Strange situation

The observers looked at four particular behaviours:

Separation anxiety

The infant’s willingness to explore The infant’s willingness to explore Stranger anxiety

What they found What they found

Based on their observations, Ainsworth and Bell found that 66% of infants were securely attached: these infants explored the unfamiliar room, were subdued when the

mother left and pleased to see her when she returned They were a little wary of the stranger but were friendly toward the stranger when the mother was present

The healthiest form of attachment is securely attached Children The healthiest form of attachment is securely attached Children who are securely attached are comfortable with social interaction and actively seek it out The child is able to function independently because the caregiver acts as a secure base

To put it another way, the child feels confident in going to nursery or school because they know their caregiver will return for them

Insecurely attached Insecurely attached

These children reacted in quite distinct ways:

1.Avoidant insecure children, who made up 22% of the sample, were not bothered whether their mother was there or not and were not enthusiastic on her return

2.Resistant insecure children accounted for 12% of the sample and 2.Resistant insecure children accounted for 12% of the sample and showed intense distress when their mother was absent The infant also rejected the mother on her return

The importance of attachment and

meeting the emotional needs of young children and their parents.

According to attachment theory our first

relationship with our carers acts as a lifelong template, moulding and shaping our capacity to enter into, and maintain, enter into, and maintain, successful subsequent relationships with family, friends and partners

It is believed that these early and powerful

Attachment signals Attachment signals

As children grow, indeed for all their lives, they adapt to As children grow, indeed for all their lives, they adapt to attachment signals and behaviours in an age

attachment signals and behaviours in an age appropriate way to appropriate way to make emotional connection to others in order to:

make emotional connection to others in order to:

Behave in a socially appealing manner

Approach, seek out and keep near to significant others for near to significant others for reassurance when fearful or anxious

Attachment styles Attachment styles

Research has shown that whether our emotional needs are met or responded to in the first years of life can have a long-term effect into adulthood

This is described as having a secure or insecure attachment In addition it has been found that attachment ‘styles’ can often be In addition it has been found that attachment ‘styles’ can often be passed on from one generation to the next

Secure attachment Secure attachment

A secure attachment develops when there is a healthy reciprocal relationship between child and carer

Social interaction is characterised by fun and playfulness and the child’s need for comfort when anxious or

distressed is met quickly and effectively distressed is met quickly and effectively

Secure attachment Secure attachment

When they become adults, securely attached children are able to enter into reciprocal relationships and have an expectation that their needs will be met and that they will be able to meet the needs of others

They have the capacity to show emotional connection through empathy or ‘mind mindedness’, are able to talk about their feelings, and are familiar with a wide emotional repertoire in both

themselves and others

and are familiar with a wide emotional repertoire in both themselves and others

Securely attached children have internalised in early childhood the key elements of positive relationship building

Ambivalent attachment Ambivalent attachment

Children experience ambivalent attachment when they are never quite sure whether their carers will meet their need for reassurance or comfort

The parent may sometimes respond to distress and anxiety or may sometimes ignore it

There is a lack of predictability in the behaviour of the carer that makes the child feel `all over the place’

The child often feels distressed but has no confidence that his or her distress will be heard

This form of attachment is particularly prevalent in families where there are mental health problems or issues with alcohol or

Ambivalent attachment Ambivalent attachment

Ambivalent attachment in children is often perpetuated by producing adults who are prone to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and eating

disorders

Disorganised attachment Disorganised attachment

Disorganised attachment occurs when children send out attachment signals but these are not received or responded to appropriately by the parent or carer

Sometimes the parent appears unaware of the child’s needs This attachment style can occur when the parent has many

unresolved emotional issues from his or her own past or has no unresolved emotional issues from his or her own past or has no

emotional resources to draw on due to mental health problems or a traumatic life event occurring during the first years of the child’s life Alternatively, and much more seriously, disorganised attachment can occur when the parent is a threat to the child through abusive

Disorganised attachment Disorganised attachment

Children with disorganised attachment often fail to thrive and may have developmental delay

Young children will inevitably show signs of emotional and

behavioural difficulties from an early age by demonstrating aggressive, disruptive or withdrawn behaviours both at home and in the early year’s environment

year’s environment

Disorganised attachment in infancy has been linked by both

longitudinal and retrospective studies to a number of mental health problems and personality disorders

Disorganised attachment Disorganised attachment

In adulthood there is an increased susceptibility to

Early year’s practitioner Early year’s practitioner

As early year’s practitioners we need to be aware that all children have complex emotional needs that have to be met in a number of different ways

When children’s relationship needs are met they feel secure, happy and confident

and confident

Equally, when their emotional needs fail to be met children can feel insecure, unhappy and lacking in confidence

Reflective Activity -What you think of the

children and their type of

attachment? -What trauma they have

suffered?

-What is the emotion you

experience about the Kids in the movie?

- What are the emotions you experienced with regard to adult in - Looking at the

situation and status of children how can you analyze the

situation through other

developmental theory?

Key emotional needs Key emotional needs

There are 10 key emotional needs that all human beings have a need for:

Attention Acceptance Appreciation Encouragement Encouragement

Affection Reflective activity Respect

Support Comfort

Attention Attention

Attention needs are met by taking a focused interest in thoughts, feelings and activities

Acceptance Acceptance

Acceptance needs are met through accepting people for just who they are at any given moment in time without judgement

Children need to know that they are accepted even when they exhibit challenging or difficult behaviour and that there is always forgiveness and a new beginning

Acceptance means not comparing one child with another in whatever Acceptance means not comparing one child with another in whatever area It means allowing the child their own individuality and uniqueness so they grow in their sense of self

Families need to be accepted whatever their socio-economic status,

Appreciation Appreciation

Appreciation is shown by giving positive celebratory feedback on

big and small things Telling children what it is they have done well and why you are proud of them means their sense of purpose is enhanced

Achievements should be celebrated in whatever area A lovely smile or a kind act are as worthy of appreciation as tidying up the toys Some children like public acclamations of success; others prefer the quiet word of appreciation – just like adults!

Encouragement Encouragement

Encouragement involves ‘cheerleading’ through motivating and

empowering from the sidelines thereby giving children a sense of your strong belief in their abilities to meet the challenges of learning, playing and growing

Stretch them a little bit further than they thought they could go Encourage them when the going gets tough and resolve falters

Affection Affection

Affection involves using the power of physical touch to communicate our care and support

Although we obviously need to keep within appropriate boundaries it is vitally important to reach out to children with a simple pat on the hand or touch on the arm.

with a simple pat on the hand or touch on the arm.

Respect Respect

Respect for young children means seeing them within the context of their whole life experiences both at

home and in the setting and giving them the dignity that comes from growing in independence and self.

Support Support

Support is necessary when children are finding life challenging in

whatever way, whether it is socially, emotionally or in tackling their learning – they need to feel help is just there ready to be asked for Children need to know that we will put ourselves out and be

prepared to go that extra mile sometimes too

This gives a sense of working and growing alongside others in the knowledge that they are not alone

Comfort Comfort

Comfort is needed when children are sad, upset or

distressed

They need to know that their feelings will be acknowledged and heard

Hurt needs to be soothed through empathetic listening or Hurt needs to be soothed through empathetic listening or appropriate physical touch

A time to recover gives dignity and space.

Approval Approval

Approval is received by giving regular verbal feedback, treats and

rewards for positive behaviour, actions and activities

Speaking highly of children in their presence and to others allows them to feel proud of themselves and builds self-concept,

internalising a sense of worth

Approval should be about ‘who children are’ as well as what they

Security Security

Security is crucial to allow children to feel held and contained safely

Clear expectations and boundaries that are systematically carried through in a fair way provide the foundation of security

Children also gain security through experiencing a consistency of

routines and from seeing adults work in a harmonious and integrated Children also gain security through experiencing a consistency of

routines and from seeing adults work in a harmonious and integrated way

They also need to know when there will be changes in routines, or when experiences will be coming to an end so that a pathway through these can be negotiated in a seamless way

Equally we need to have clear professional boundaries with parents and be

In order to support the emotional wellbeing of children it is necessary to think through different and complimentary ways in which we can meet the 10 top emotional needs effectively

We also need to make sure that we are looking after ourselves and we are meeting our own

emotional needs through the input of family, friends and colleagues It is only when we have this ‘input’ and colleagues It is only when we have this ‘input’ that we can provide the necessary ‘output’

This is why working with parents can have such an important positive effect on empowering and

Attachment vs Communication Attachment vs Communication

The capacity to communicate with others is at the heart of human experience

We use language, thought, feelings, creativity and movement to let others know about ourselves

Through that communication, we also develop our capacity to Through that communication, we also develop our capacity to understand others

The way we come to communicate and understand is shaped by our early experience of relationships – the context in which we begin to learn about, and make sense of the world

Good early attachment experiences facilitate the capacity to

Attachment vs communication Attachment vs communication

Secure base

A secure base provides the infant with a safe place from which to explore the world, but return to when he or she feels threatened

The aim of attachment behaviour is sufficient proximity or contact to ensure that we always feel secure The infant and mother negotiate a way of relating

Attachment vs communication Attachment vs communication

Securely attached

Secure enough attachment fosters the capacity to resolve distress The experience of empathy – having one’s feelings and experiences understood by another – allows the development of self awareness From there we evolve a language to communicate emotional states From there we evolve a language to communicate emotional states Someone who has experienced a secure attachment is, as being available, responsive, and helpful.’

This gives rise to a complementary model of himself or herself as ‘a potentially loveable and valuable person’ As a result, he or she is likely to ‘approach the world with confidence.’ This makes it possible to

Securely attached

An outcome of fears being understood, soothed and put into

words and thoughts by another is that the infant becomes able to: experience being understood

develop an understanding of self and become self-aware develop an understanding of self and become self-aware become able to recognise feelings in others

develop his or her own coping mechanism in the face of

Attachment vs communication Attachment vs communication

Insecure attachment

When adverse experiences of early attachment are not relieved by more positive relationships with others, the consequences for

communication, behaviour and learning are negative

Insecurely attached children struggle to find the words to identify experiences buried in infancy, before any capacity to explore or express experience with words and actions had evolved

express experience with words and actions had evolved

These experiences are unconsciously known but never understood Memories of them not remain in the past, but become actions in the here and now

Attachment vs communication Attachment vs communication

Withdrawn children

Some children communicate their struggle by the way they seek to avoid drawing attention to themselves

Social withdrawal can be a way of letting others know that other

preoccupations have ‘taken over’ Such a communication is easy to overlook in a demanding classroom Most teachers’ capacity to respond is taken up by those, usually boys, who are acting out and behaving in disruptive ways those, usually boys, who are acting out and behaving in disruptive ways Children who have not been given the opportunity to process adverse

experiences, within the context of a relationship with a sensitive carer who can understand their fear and transform this into words and thought, are left with insufficient resources to resolve the challenges and traumas that almost

inevitably occur