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PYC4805 Child Development Exam 61%
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Maxine Spalding PYC4805Student Number: 57708754 Oct/Nov 2022 Exam
QUESTION A1 Discuss the development of attachment during infancy
and toddlerhood. Also, consider the importance of attachment and how
it may influence later relationships and mental health. Refer to relevant
research findings in your discussion. [20]
Infants, birth to 1 year and toddlers, 1 to 2 years develop through
staged of attachment. Bowlby studied infants and developed theories
on attachment. He said that during the first three months of a child’s life,
they are within what is called the preattachment phase and show no
further sign of attachment. However, children begin to show smiles to
faces regardless of whether they are familiar of not based on the child’s
reflex to get food and love from an adult. This therefore shows no true
attachment and further indicates that the child is within the
preattachment phase. This smile is called the social smile.
An infant’s need for attachment was shown in an experiment conducted
by Harlow who used baby monkeys to show their relationship with
different ‘fake’ mothers. One wire mother which offered feed and
another soft clothed mother which offered no feed. The monkey chose
the cloth mother every time with an occasional visit to the wire mother
to drink.
Soon after developing the social smile, the infant will begin to transition
into what is called the ‘attachment in the making’ phase. Infants will still
smile at whoever will offer them love and food but are becoming more
selective and showing a preference to their primary care giver. This
phase is from 4 months to 7 months old.
During 7 to 8 months, an intense, critical attachment is starting to
unfold. This attachment style is called clear-cut or focused attachment
due to the intensity of the attachment. Separation anxiety begins to
emerge during this phase due to the intense need for their preferred
individual to be close by at all times. Stranger anxiety begins to then
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, Maxine Spalding PYC4805
Student Number: 57708754 Oct/Nov 2022 Exam
develop soon after separation anxiety where the infant is no longer
happy for strangers to smile, speak to them or pick them up.
By the age of one and two, this anxiety is at an all time high. It has been
described that there is an invisible string linking the care giver and the
child. Children now cry when their preferred person leaves, even if it’s
just the room.
Bowlby explained how attachment is vital in the early phases of infancy
and toddlerhood as it helps in the development of being aware of one’s
safety and danger. He also identified that without attachment, infants
have issues developing relationships and show signs of mental health
issues in later years.
There are different attachment styles, namely; secure attachment
whereby a child is happy to be with their care giver, insecure
attachment which is when a child does not show this response,
avoidant attachment which is an insecure attachment style but is
characterised by how children do not show any difference between
being reunited with their care giver, anxious-ambivalent attachment is
also an insecure attachment style which is when a child shows
immense distress even after being reunited and lastly, disorganized
attachment which is a bizarre type of behaviour shown by children after
reuniting. Each of these attachment styles predicts our adult
relationships. A secure attachment child will have a good relationship
with their parents and teachers where an insecure child who shows an
anxious-ambivalent style, will be needy. Therefore, a secure infant
becomes a secure adult who will succeed. This is due to them being
more socially aware and easily able to adapt in certain situations. An
insecure attached adult is not able to put their emotions aside in other
to deal with their interpersonal relationships. Securely attached
individuals therefore have good mental health as they are able to do
what insecure attached individuals are not.
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