Introduction
This work seeks to make a report on the relevance of secure attachment for human development. It also seeks to emphasise the role of secure attachment as a drive for successful relationship building and development in children and adults. In a bid to ensure that a proper report is documented, the work will: examine and review the development theory literature on the relevance of secure attachment to human development; carry out a study on early works on attachment for instance those that comprise the stipulations of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, among other development theorists; look at other researches that have been made on adult attachment; and appraise these thoughts, ideologies, and concerns.
An examination of attachment theory
It was Jones (2016, p. 1) who asserted that attachment theory remains one of the foremost methods to carrying out a critical study and evaluation on human relationships, precisely interpersonal). The author noted that attachment theory elaborates on why parental relations with their children have a long-lasting influence on what their children become in the future (Jones, 2016, p. 1). The theory explained that children who lack the primary social and emotional security and needs from their parents often grew up to become deficient in positive relationship with others. According to Bowlby (1988), children are born with a psychological and biological system otherwise known as attachment behavioural system that inspires them to rely on an attachment figure for protection, provision and security. Often times than not, this attachment figure is basically a caregiver, who the child sees as his/her guide.
Jones further mentioned that the attachment behavioural system is consequent upon the fact that it is natural for every child to want to be with an attached caregiver most especially in needful situations. To the child, this means absence of discomfort and threat. Evidently, it is even obvious in society that when a child feels that his/her security and care is unavailable, there are always recognisable symptoms of protest (like crying among others) by that child. Moreover, a child who lacks sufficient parental care and love tends to feel hopeless and less confident and on the long run, this tends to inform negative internal working models in such a child (Jones, 2016, p. 2). This corroborates Cherry’s assertion that the central idea behind attachment theory Is that caregivers who make themselves available to their children’s needs allow them to develop a sense of safety and strong will to face the world in the course of their growth and development (Cherry, 2022).
Attachment Theory and Secure Attachment Nexus: Examining the importance of the latter in infant and adult development
It is important to note that it was through the attachment theory developed by John Bowlby to expatiate on the issues surrounding human relationship and attachment, that attachment style was derived. Attachment style, in this context, refers to an individual’s attitude and ways of relating in care giving with attachment figures such as parents (Levy et al., 2011, p. 193). It involves a child’s trust and confidence in the availability of those he is attached to as a secure base from which he can freely relate with others as he grows older. Based on the aforementioned, it is observed that the essence and style or method of attachment is based on the need for security and safety for both infants and adults. Everyone wants some sense of guarantee of peace and stability in life, and the absence of it entails lack of confidence in oneself, inferiority complex, negative attitude and conceptions of people and things, and the like. Having made the above-mentioned point, it will be a good idea to examine ‘secure attachment which is one of the four attachment styles.
According to Laderer & Mutziger (2022), there are about four different types of attachment styles, and the most effective and healthiest is secure attachment because people with a secure attachment style often have a happy relationship. Further, the author highlighted that in order to develop a secure attachment style, it is important for a child must in one way or the other, have a healthy relationship with his primary care giver in order to develop a strong social and emotional growth. When a child is born, it is common that their needs will be met by their care givers in order to survive due to their unique biological condition (Karakas et al., 2019, p. 76). The child makes use of physical features like crying to notify the care givers of certain discomforting situations and in turn, expects his care givers to take care of the issue. Howbeit, in situations where we have care givers who raise children with a secure attachment such that they feel seen and valued, safe, comfortable and supported to succeed, there is every tendency that such children would have positive mindset to face the world and live meaningfully (Attachment Project, 2020).
In another event, Beckle Camez noted that there are many ways through which secure attachment can be identified in a child. These include the following. They will: a) demonstrate unhappiness when separated from their parents and other care givers b) express relief when reunited with their parents and guardians c) permit their primary care givers to console them when under distress d) explore navigate situations and activities going on in their environment by responding positively to challenges and risks with the belief that their care givers will always be available to support them (Laderer & Mutziger, 2022). On the other hand, Fraley (2018) noted that irrespective of the fact that John Bowlby based his attachment theory on the comprehension of the nature of child-care giver relations, he also was of the opinion that attachment was featured by human experience which transcends from the ‘cradle to the grave.’
Again, adding momentum to Bowlby’s view on adult attachment, researchers, during the 1980s, considered the possibility that adults can experience secure attachment through emotional entanglement and others. As the first researchers to look into Bowlby’s ideology surrounding romantic relationships between adults, Hazan & Shaver (1987, p. 105) explained that the emotional relationship that exists between adult romantic individuals is in part, a consequence of the same attachment behavioural system that works for infants and their care givers. Furthermore, they mentioned that the emotional bond between infants and care givers as well as the bond between adults in romance have the same similarities as both : a) engage in close and intimate contact b) feel insecure and troubled when their care giver or lovers are unavailable c) feel secured and happy when the other is available and caring d) communicate productively with one another e) have fun or play with one another’s facial characteristics and in subtle communication or talk with one another (Fraley, 2018).
Discussing the impact of Adult Attachment Theory, Fraley (2018) mentioned that the ideology surrounding the fact that romantic relationships between adults can also be likened or are even attachment theories has dominated the theme of contemporary research intimate relationships. As such, the author outlined three implications of the idea. These are that 1) if romance between adults is attachment relationships, then people should observe the same features of infant attachment in adults e.g. adults being confident that their spouse will always be available to respond to their needs. 2) If romance between adults is attachment relationships, then both relationships should operate in the same manner such that things that children find desirable like care, security, and availability should be obtainable as well in adult relationship. 3) An adult’s feeling of security or insecurity is always a consequence of his childhood encounter with his care givers. Putting thus more comprehensively, Bowlby noted that the psychological expositions or expressions like opinions, beliefs, and set-rules for behaving that a child holds in regard to the way he or she relates with other individuals in society is a result of his or her care giving encounters (Fraley, 2018).
Again, the question on whether adults observe the same kind of attachment patterns like children remains relevant to this study. In response, Shaver & Hazan (1987) mentioned that the distribution of features between both categories is similar. However, in an argument that the measure used by Hazan and Shaver was based on assumption, researchers like Breman, Clark, & Shaver made a suggestion that adult attachment methods are split into two dimensions: attachment-related anxiety – a situation where adults in relationships are either worried over the availability of their partners or are not due to the responsiveness of their partners; and attachment-related avoidance – a situation where individuals on the high side of this dimension hate to rely on others and those who are on the other end, prefer to be dependent on others (Fraley, 2018).
Conclusion
It has been established in this report that in the course of human growth and development, from infancy to adulthood, there is always a natural feeling of attachment for safety and security reasons between humans in society.
References
Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.
Cherry, K. (2022). What is Attachment Theory? https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337.
Fraley, R.C. (2018). Adult Attachment Theory and Research: A Brief Overview.http://labs.psychology.illinois.edu/-rcfraley/attachment.htm.
Jones, S.M. (2016). Attachment Theory. In C.R. Berger & M.E. Roloff (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication (First Edition), John Wiley & Sons, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/9781118540190.WBEIC0161
Karakas, N.M., Dagili, F.S., &Yazar, S. (2019). The Importance of Attachment in Infant and Influencing Factors. Turk Pediatri Ars, 54(2), 76-81.
Laderer, A., & Mutziger, J. (2020). How to Develop Secure Attachment Style so that you can have healthier, more loving relationships. https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/secure-attachment?amp.
Levy, K.N., Ellison, W.D., Scott, L.N., & Bernecker, S.L. (2011). Attachment Style. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 67(2), 193-203.
Shaver, P., & Hazan, C. (1987). Being Lonely, falling in love. Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 2(2), 105.
The Attachment Project (2020). Secure Attachment – from Childhood to Adult Relationships. https://www.attachmentproject.com.
