Psychology_Paper

Psychology Paper Overview of Attachment In the present study, researchers examined 112 children using a longitudinal design. The children were observed at 9, 14, 22 and 33 months in a standard laboratory. At the age of 14 months the mother-child attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation. There was a higher attachment security uniquely predicted at the age of 33 months. In the past three decades there has been broad research on the formation of infant-mother attachment stemming from the theoretical work of Thompson (1998) and strategies developed by Weinfield, Sroufe, Egeland & Carlson (1999). Researchers have attempted to explain the significance of the first relationships we form. Many have focused their attention on the social and emotional processes in developmental outcomes that represent relatively complex constructs of a secure and insecure mother child attachment. Attachment theory emphasizes the biological function of bonds between individuals, the first being the bond between the infant and the caregiver. In this relationship, the infant desires to be physically close to the caregiver, especially if any type of danger is perceived (Sroufe, 1997). Behaviors such as crying and clinging are often directed to a specific caregiver, usually the mother, attachment, infant, months, secure, first, life, infants, child, behaviors, year, age, 14, emotions, children, caregiver, 33, 22, three, study, strange, situation, security, present, patterns, isabella, insecure, examined, emotional, distress, contact, between, been, article, able