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School of Psychology

Undergraduate Programme
Student name: DO MINH TAM
Student ID: 009!"
INT#ODU$TION TO D%&%'OPM%NTA' PS($HO'O)(
%ssay name:
Insecure attachment has a strong relat*onsh*+ ,*th *nsens*t*-e mother*ng
Tutor Name: DHAN(A A.P /0#A)HA&AN PI''AI
%ma*l Address: 1say!dmm2nott*ngham0edu0my
I. Introduction
3ohn 4o,l5y ,as the +sycholog*st ,ho research a5out the f*rst attachment theory0 Su5se6uently7
Mary Salter A*ns,orth de-elo+ed an em+*r*cal 5ase and measur*ng the conce+t of the
attachment0 4o,l5y stated that the early 5onds de-elo+s *n ch*ldren ,*th the*r careg*-ers ha-e a
strong *m+acts of ch*ldren8s future l*fe0 4eg*nn*ng at 5*rth7 e-ery ch*ld has *m+acts h*s a5*l*ty to
attach ,*th another +erson0 Attachment *s the emot*onal t*e 5et,een the *nfant and careg*-er7
usually a +arent0 $h*ldren ,hose mothers are sens*t*-e and ,arm de-elo+ a secur*ty attachment
ha-e a5*l*ty to d*sco-er the en-*ronment0 Other,*se7 ch*ldren ,ho ha-e *ncons*stent or neglect
+arents 5elong to *nsecur*ty attachment 9A*ns,orth !9:";0 In th*s +a+er7 ,e ,*ll d*scuss a5out
ho, *nsens*t*-e careg*-er 5eha-es to,ards a ch*ld that leads to *nsecure attachment 5ond0 <*rstly7
,e f*nd out the +rofound mean*ng7 d*fferent stages and four ma*n ty+es of attachment 5onds0 The
ne=t +art ,*ll focus on ho, *nsens*t*-e +arental treatments *nfluence a ch*ld8s *nsecure
attachment0 <*nally7 ,e summar*>e the ma*n f*nd*ngs *n conclus*on +art0
II. Attachment theory
II0!. ?hat *s attachment@
Attachment *s an emot*onal 5ond de-elo+s *n the *nfant *n the early year ,*th the
careg*-er0 9Mary A*ns,orth7 !9:A;0 In young ch*ldren attachment *s usually e=+ressed 5y
the ,ant to 5e held 5y the*r +arents7 fam*ly mem5ers or other fam*l*ar careg*-ers0 Infant
,*ll 5ecome u+set or d*stressed *n se+arat*on +er*od0 Attachment can ar*se from soc*al
*nteract*ons 5et,een a ch*ld and careg*-er0 Moreo-er7 *t has a ser*ous *nfluence on
emot*on and soc*al +ro5lems *n the future l*fe of ch*ldren0
II0B. Sens*t*-e mother*ng
$h*ldren ha-e sens*t*-e and careful mothers ,*ll 5e more em+ath*c7 more closely ,*th
+arents and less l*1ely ha-e 5eha-*or *ssues 9Sroufe C <leeson7 !9"";0 Mothers ,ho are
sens*t*-e and res+ons*-e *n *nteract*ng ,*th ch*ldren7 for *nstance mothers ,ho recogn*>e
*nfant s*gnals and res+ond to them *mmed*ately ,*ll ha-e *nfants ,ho de-elo+ a more
secure attachment relat*onsh*+0 On the other hand7 mothers ,ho are *nsens*t*-e7 neglect7
or lac1 of *m+ress*on are more l*1ely to ha-e *nfants ,ho de-elo+ an *nsecure 5ond0 The
attachment 5ond *s the *m+ortant factor that *nfluences future relat*onsh*+s0 #esearch has
sho,n that ch*ldren de-elo+ a close relat*onsh*+ ,*th the*r mothers7 are less de+endent on
the*r teachers7 and more coo+erat*-e ,*th adults as ch*ldren
II0A.Stages
%-ery ch*ld goes through d*fferent stages of attached 5ond0 S*nce the 5a5y ,as 5orn to
t,o months of later7 *nfants e=+ress l*ttle emot*on0 He or she cannot d*st*ngu*sh ,ho *s
the*r +r*mary careg*-er so that any5ody can ta1e care of the ch*ld0 Then7 from t,o to
se-en months of age7 *nfants can recogn*>e and *nteract d*fferently ,*th +r*mary
careg*-ers or strangers0 Ho,e-er7 they do not sho, strong attachment7 es+ec*ally ,hen
5e*ng se+arated0 Ne=t7 5et,een se-en months and t,o years7 *nfants 5eg*n to ra*se
attachment and at that t*me they ,*ll res+ond to the careg*-er the*r feel*ngs0 <*nally7
a5o-e B years7 *nfants ,*ll sho, relat*onsh*+ 5ond and de-elo+ de+endence0 $h*ldren and
mother ha-e a5*l*ty understand each other more dee+ly0
There are -ar*ous 1*nds of attachment that can 5e +ut *nto four categor*es 9Ma*n and
Solomon7 !9";0 4a5*es ,hose mothers react 6u*c1ly to the*r needs7 almost a-a*la5le and
enDoy +lay*ng ,*th the *nfant *s sa*d to 5e securely attached0 Infants ,ho rece*-e
emot*onally res+ons*-e care7 dur*ng the*r f*rst years 5ecome securely attached0 In
contrast7 *nsecure attachment ty+es d*ffer7 de+end*ng on ho, neglectful the careg*-er
res+onds to the *nfant0 Insecure attachment *s sha+ed ,hen a +r*mary careg*-er does not
5eha-e *n ,arm7 lo-a5le7 or sens*t*-e ,ay to the *nfant0 Insecure attachment has three
forms: a-o*dant7 res*stant7 or d*sorgan*>ed0 Mothers 5elong to a-o*dant ty+e are to 5e
una-a*la5le7 unres+ons*-e and reDect*ng0 They do not res+ond +rom+tly to the ch*ld0 They
ha-e +oor car*ng and lac1 of *m+ress*on and res+ond to *nfant8s needs *n *nsens*t*-e
,ays0 The d*sorgan*>ed ty+e mar1ed 5y a m*= of 5eha-*or7 ,here ch*ldren may a-o*d or
e-en res*st attent*on from careg*-ers0 Somet*mes the +arents may 5e comfort7 5ut at other
t*mes they m*ght 5e neglect or e-en fear0
II0E. #elat*onsh*+ 5et,een *nsecure attachment and *nsens*t*-e mother*ng
Thus7 attachment has strong correlat*on to a ch*ld8s 5eha-*or *n the +ros+ect*-e t*me0 If
+arents meet ch*ldren8s needs sens*t*-ely and a++ro+r*ately7 as a result7 ,hen gro,*ng u+
ch*ldren tend to 5e soc*a5le and ha-e self esteem0 #esearch sho,s that ch*ldren ,ho had
*nsens*t*-e mother car*ng *n the +oor 6ual*ty had the greater r*s1 5et,een +arents and
ch*ldren +ro5lems0 Infants ,hose e=+er*ences ,*th a careg*-er are *nsens*t*-e or
un+red*cta5le are more l*1ely to de-elo+ an *nsecure attachment0 If the careg*-ers do not
react to *nfant8s 5eha-*or or neglects the *nfant7 the 5a5*es ,*ll de-elo+ an *nsecure
attachment to the careg*-er0 $h*ldren ,ho are *nsecurely attached 5el*e-ed that adults are
not trust ,orthy0 Infants ,*th *nsecure attachments feel that they are unlo-a5le7 not
rece*-*ng mother care and unsafe0 An *nsecure attachment also ar*se ,hen +arents are not
sens*t*-e ,hen +lay*ng *nteract*on games and do not *nterested *n the 5a5y0 Adults may
5e careless7 neglectful or *ntrus*-e so that they cannot 5r*ng ha++*ness to the*r ch*ld0
<urthermore7 ch*ldren ,ho ha-e res*stant 5ond usually de+end on the*r mothers0 $h*ldren
*n a-o*dant attachment sho, m*n*mal d*stress on se+arat*on and often a-o*d the*r mothers
u+on reun*on0 A th*rd *nsecure ty+e7 d*sorgan*>ed attachment 9Ma*n7 /a+lan7 C $ass*dy7
!9"F;7 descr*5es ch*ldren ,ho are -ery confused u+on reun*on0 They may ,al1 a,ay
from careg*-er and 5e*ng free>*ng for seconds or m*nutes ,*th da>ed loo10 4y contrast7
ch*ldren ,ho form a secure attachment are usually 5ecome d*stressed ,h*le se+arated7
ho,e-er they are eas*ly to ease ,hen reun*ons and enDoy +lay*ng aga*n0
In later l*fe7 *nsecure ch*ldren cont*nue to fall *n +ro5lemat*c relat*onsh*+s0 They ha-e
5ad 5eha-*ors and treat as same as the +oor care of the*r early ch*ldhood0 <or *nstance7
ch*ldren ,ho ,ere neglected 5y +arents ,*ll 5e sus+ect7 +ugnac*ous and reDect*ng of other
+eo+le that +arents may 5ecome fur*ous and reDect*ng 5ac10
I. Conclusion
In summary7 *nsens*t*-e mother*ng has -ery close connect*on ,*th a 5a5y8s *nsecure attachment0
Moreo-er7 secure attachment has *m+ortant role 5ecause *t affect the de-elo+ment of ch*ldren8s
5ra*n0 4es*des7 *t can hel+ an *nfant to e=+lore en-*ronment0 %arly 5ond can *nfluence emot*ons7
learn*ng7 th*n1*ng and 5eha-*ors *n future l*fe0 Therefore7 mothers should choose the 5est
+arental treatment to form a sta5le attachment *n order to 5r*ng the*r ch*ld u+ *n a healthy and
Doyful ,ay0
#%<%#%N$%S
!0 /endra $herry7 B0!B0 Attachment theory. Psychology7 Gonl*neH0 A-a*la5le at
Ihtt+:..+sychology0a5out0com.od.lo-eandattract*on.a.attachment0!0htmJ GAccessed F
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B0 A*ns,orth7 M7!9"90 Attachments 5eyond *nfancy0 Amer*can Psycholog*st7 EE 7 :09K:!
A0 Ann Murray and Mary %l*>a5eth $urtnerKSm*th7 B00"0 Giving Our Children Presence,
2008 Gonl*neH0 A-a*la5le at
Ihtt+:..,,,0attachment+arent*ng0org.+dfs.)*-*ngOur$h*ldrenPresence0+dfJ GAccessed
:
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E0 Her MaDesty7 B00B0 IN<ANT ATTA$HM%NT K ?HAT P#O<%SSIONA'S N%%D TO
/NO?0 A-a*la5le at I,,,0+hacKas+c0gc0ca.mhKsm.mh+000.+df .fcK+rofneedto 1no, 0+df J
GAccessed :
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