Relationship Between Infant And Primary Caregiver Essay

The most significant bond of life is between the infant and primary caregiver. John Bowlby, the eminent authority, describes attachment as the natural connection between baby and mother (as cited in Alexander, 1992, p.186). Family dynamics have changed since Bowlby’s time, for this reason, the research analyzes the relationship of the infant and primary caregiver. Bowlby’s attachment theory infers that the path of these bonds lay the groundwork for future behavior, view of one’s self, and relationship with others (Colonnesi et al., 2011). Research on abuse and neglect of infants and it’s correlation to insecure attachment and the type of insecure attachment is vital to set up an early intervention protocol. Bowlby’s work on attachment theory shows infants treated well develop a secure attachment. Hence they have a good foundation for healthy self-esteem, behavior, and future relationships (Barnet, Ganiban, Cicchetti, 1991). If the infant develops an insecure bond with the caregiver, they may develop mental disturbances (Cicchetti, Ganiban, Barnett, 1991). Mary Ainsworth, Bowlby’s contemporary, applied Bowlby’s theory in her research. In 1978, Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall, created the strange situation technique to study one year old infant attachments (as cited in Colonnesi et al., 2011, p.631). Results of their analysis led to three categories of attachment. They distinguished a secure (B), an insecure avoidant (A), and insecure ambivalent attachment (C)Show MoreRelatedAttachment Theory on Socio-Emtionals Development of Children1435 Words   |  6 Pagesmost significant theoretical schemes for understanding the socio-emotional development of children at an early stage. In addition, the theory is also developing into one of the most prominent models that guide parent-child relationships. 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