Attachment Theory, and Attachment Styles
Attachment Theory is an area of psychology that describes the nature of emotional
attachment between humans. It begins as children with our attachment to our parents.
The nature of this attachment, and how well it’s fostered and cared for, will then
influence the nature of our attachment to romantic partners later in our life.
Attachment theory began in the 1950s and has since amassed a small mountain of
research behind it. Two researchers, John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, found that the
nature in which infants get their needs met by their parents significantly contributes to
their “attachment strategy” throughout their lives.
Attachment Theory in Babies, Infants, and Early Childhood
Development
According to Bowlby and Ainsworth, attachments with the primary caregiver develop
during the first 18 months or so of the child’s life, starting with instinctual behaviors like
crying and clinging (Kennedy & Kennedy, 2004). These behaviors are quickly directed
at one or a few caregivers in particular, and by 7 or 8 months old, children usually start
protesting against the caregiver(s) leaving and grieve for their absence.
Once children reach the toddler stage, they begin forming an internal working model of
their attachment relationships. This internal working model provides the framework for
the child’s beliefs about their own self-worth and how much they can depend on others
to meet their needs.
In Bowlby and Ainsworth’s view, the attachment styles that children form based on their
early interactions with caregivers form a continuum of emotion regulation, with anxious-
avoidant attachment at one end and anxious-resistant at the other. Secure attachment
falls at the midpoint of this spectrum, between overly organized strategies for controlling
and minimizing emotions and the uncontrolled, disorganized, and ineffectively managed
emotions.
The most recently added classification, disorganized-disoriented, may display strategies
and behaviors from all across the spectrum, but generally, they are not effective in
controlling their emotions and may have outbursts of anger or aggression (Kennedy &
Kennedy, 2004).
Research has shown that there are many behaviors in addition to emotion regulation
that relates to a child’s attachment style. Among other findings, there is evidence of the
following connections/attachment styles:
Secure Attachment: These children are generally more likely to see others as
supportive and helpful and themselves as competent and worthy of respect. They
relate positively to others and display resilience, engage in complex play and are
more successful in the classroom and in interactions with other children. They
are better at taking the perspectives of others and have more trust in others;
Anxious-Avoidant Attachment: Children with an anxious-avoidant attachment
style are generally less effective in managing stressful situations. They are likely
to withdraw and resist seeking help, which inhibits them from forming
satisfying relationships with others. They show more aggression and antisocial
behavior, like lying and bullying, and they tend to distance themselves from
others to reduce emotional stress;
Anxious-Resistant Attachment: These children are on the opposite end of the
spectrum from anxious-avoidant children. They likely lack self-confidence and
stick close to their primary caregivers. They may display exaggerated emotional
reactions and keep their distance from their peers, leading to social isolation.
Disorganized Attachment: Children with a disorganized attachment style usually
fail to develop an organized strategy for coping with separation distress, and tend
to display aggression, disruptive behaviors, and social isolation. They are more
likely to see others as threats than sources of support, and thus may switch
between social withdrawal and defensively aggressive behavior (Kennedy &
Kennedy, 2004).
It is easy to see from these descriptions of behaviors and emotion regulation how
attachment style in childhood can lead to relationship problems in adulthood.
