Attachment Theory & Child Development & Learning
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The failure to forge meaningful attachment or connection with others during infancy and early childhood leads to developmental issues that can last into adulthood. Systems theorists moved away from the classical Freudian model of development and maintained that ôPeople are motivated by more than the desire to satisfy instinctual impulses, like hunger and sex; they also have a primary need to be meaningfully connected to othersö (Karen, 1998, p. 38). John BowlbyÆs attachment theory furthered this line of thinking, a theory that maintains ôpersonality development is based on the interaction of the child and the caregiver during infancy and early childhoodö (Ainsworth, & Bowlby, 1991, p. 333). When this interaction is lacking or flawed, psychopathology is likely to develop. All infants form enduring emotional bonds or attachments with their caregivers. The biological purpose of attachment protects infants from predators and enables the infant to feel secure when exploring his or her environment. Bowlby theorized there are four phases of attachment development, three of which occur in the first year of life: Phase One (Birth-3 mos.): Largely the caregiverÆs responsibility to maintain proximity to and protect the infant. Phase Two (3-6 mos.): Infant increasingly becomes a more active participant in the attachment behavior system. Phase Three (6-9 mos.): Infant directs attachment behaviors toward a single caregiver or selected caregi
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ions, behavior, and communication in purposeful and meaningful ways. As Greenspan and Wieder (1998) explain, the goal of such relationships is to enhance developmental capacities through a two-way process and context: ôYou can help him want to learn how to attend to you; you can help him want to learn how to engage in a dialogue; you can inspire him to take initiative, to learn about causality and logic, to act to solve problems even before he speaks and moves into the world of ideasö (p. 123).
Such a process of relating helps the individual become more skilled at thinking and learning on his own in a way that is more meaningful, spontaneous and flexible than would be the case without relating to others. For relating to others provides a valuable process of feedback that is necessary for young learners to develop capabilities that connect internal emotions with external realities. Through such relationships the child will also ôgain a firmer foundation for advanced cognitive skillsö (Greenspan, & Wieder, 1998, p. 123). Building a strong bridge between emotion and behavior is critical for children to move up the ladder of development in a healthy and skilled manner that promotes greater capacity of individual skills and for fu
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Approximate Word count = 4085
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)
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