Attachment Theory

Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation Methodology to help identify the patterns of attachment behaviors in infants. This methodology was based on the infants’ reaction to being separated and then reunited with their caregivers. There are a total of four attachment behaviors, including secure attachment, which is formed when a caregiver is consistent in responding to the infant’s needs (Newman &Newman, 2017). The infant forms a trusting bond where they feel safe and cared for, and when they are separated, the infants could show distress and then proceed to explore the environment. However, upon the return of the caregiver, the infant seeks comfort and continues to explore the environment. The second attachment style is the anxious-avoidant attachment, which occurs when the caregiver is unresponsive or emotionally unavailable. When separated from their caregivers, infants with this attachment show little to no distress, and upon return, they do not show much of a positive response or seek comfort and care (Newman &Newman, 2017).

The third attachment style is anxious-resistant attachment, which occurs when the caregiver is inconsistent with their caregiving and the responses to the infant’s needs are not predictable. In response to being separated from their caregiver, an infant with this attachment will be highly distressed and not explore the environment and upon return, soothing them will be challenging. These infants will try to maintain close proximity to their caregivers and avoid situations that increase uncertainty to them accessing their caregivers. Lastly, disorganized attachment is observed when a caregiver is abusive and, therefore, frightens the child or is afraid of the infant and usually displays little to no comforting or positive behaviors (Newman &Newman, 2017). In such cases, when an infant is separated from the caregiver, the most notable response is noted when the caregiver returns, whereby the child displays utter confusion or extreme fear because of their distress.

Secure Attachment

Four factors are essential to the formation of a secure attachment. The first is the personal life story of a caregiver. This is especially in regard to the kind of attachment that the caregiver had when they were young. Their attachment style from a young age will affect the attachments they have in their life, including one with their child. In addition, experiencing a disruption of an attachment, for example, through divorce or death, will also affect a caregiver’s ability to form secure attachments with their infants (Newman &Newman, 2017). However, suppose a caregiver had secure attachments with their caregivers. In that case, this will also be demonstrated in their caregiving in addition to having the qualities that their caregivers had, like being emotionally available. The second factor is the culture within which the infant is brought up. Culture has a significant influence on how attachments between parents and children are formed. For instance, some cultures encourage the independence of children, which can lead to anxious-avoidant or anxious-resistant attachment (Newman &Newman, 2017). Some cultures may have beliefs about the vulnerability of infants, which then sets a precedent on how carefully and attentively they must be attended to, leading to secure attachments. In addition, shared childcare cultures also lead to secure attachments as children learn from a young age to depend on many people because they trust in them to protect and care for them.

The third factor is contemporary factors, which can include socioeconomic conditions, postnatal depression, or lack or presence of social support, among others. A caregiver who has no resources to care for a child will face a lot of hardship taking care of their child, which can affect the bonding between them because the parent is preoccupied with trying to provide for the child. Postnatal depression can also affect secure attachment because depressed mothers will not be able to provide comfort, care, or the positive responses that a child seeks. The last factor that affects secure attachment is the characteristics of the infant. This is especially true in children born with physical disabilities and are rejected by their parents.

Attachment Disorders

Inconsistent and neglectful caregiving has been linked to a clinically diagnosis attachment disorder: reactive attachment disorder (RAD). This disorder arises due to considerable disturbances in infancy attachment development, as aforementioned, mainly linked to abuse and neglect (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). There are two types of this disorder. The first one is the inhibited type, whereby during social interaction, a child will display behaviors like being emotionally unresponsive, withdrawn, and hypervigilance. Such a child will also be highly resistant to the comfort or care coming from other people, even when they are in distressing conditions. In addition, such children will also stay away from social interactions and be detached from other people. Their behaviors will show that they avoid seeking support or nurturing, and they have no trust in those who are supposed to take care of them. Further, they are also guarded and withdrawn, being overly cautious and constantly on the lookout for potential threats.

The second type is the uninhibited type, which consists of behaviors opposite to those of the inhibited type. A child with this disorder will tend to have no normal caution in approaching strangers, and they form attachments indiscriminately. Basically, they have little to no social boundaries. As such, they tend to be overly friendly with everyone, get attached quickly, and have inappropriate affection or level of trust with strangers and this shows that they have no ability to form selective attachments.

Attachment Paradigm

When it comes to the attachment paradigm, a key criticism is that it is culturally biased because the studies conducted and theories developed thereafter were all conducted in a Western context or environment (Newman &Newman, 2017). The Strange Situation study was used to study attachment in a Western context, and their cultural norms played a significant role, especially considering that it is an individualistic society that emphasizes independence from a young age. Different cultures have different ways of raising their children; for example, some cultures choose to carry their children on their backs even when they are sleeping because the close contact is a way of bonding, giving the child warmth and comfort. In other societies, infants are carried using strollers or sleep in a bassinet—there is a physical separation from the caregiver compared to the former. Notably, supposing a child in the first example is separated from the caregiver, it is likely that they will be distressed because of the lack of physical closeness, even though the child is securely attached. However, the distress could be used to conclude the child as not securely attached. In addition, the study only showed dyadic attachment between an infant and one caregiver, not taking into consideration the fluid nature of caregiving, especially in cultures that have collective caregiving practices.

This criticism is directly related to the NASW Code of Ethics on Cultural Competence (1.05b), which underscores the significance of gaining knowledge of, understanding, and respecting different cultural backgrounds, especially in social work. The code emphasizes the importance of cultural competence, and having an awareness of culture impacts clients’ perspectives, experiences, and behaviors (Disney & Carnes, 2022). In addition, the code warns one to avoid imposing their cultural values in assessment and intervention, otherwise known as ethnocentrism. Seeing how the attachment paradigm has failed to take into account cultural variations that exist in caregiving and child behavior, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis or inappropriate interventions, thus violating the ethical obligation to provide culturally competent care.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Text revision.

Disney, L., & Carnes, S. (2022). But culturally competent for whom? Ethics and cross-cultural dilemmas in COVID-era social work. International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 19(2), 209-226.

Newman, B. M., Newman, P. R. (2017). Development through life: A psychosocial approach. Cengage Learning.

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Assignment Content

In a Word Document, read and answer the following:

• Read the text information on attachment theory (p.151-160).
  • Write an overview of the four types of attachment (1 page).
• Read about the four factors that contribute to a secure attachment (p.155-158).
  • Write an overview of the four factors (1page).
• Read about the two forms of attachment disorder identified in the DSM-5 (p.159-160).
  • Discuss both forms mentioned (1 page).
• Read the NASW Code of Ethics Cultural Competence (1.05b) and Critique of the Attachment Paradigm (p.160-161).
  • Write one criticism on the Attachment Paradigm and relate it to the NASW Code of Ethics Cultural Competence (1.05b).
    

    Attachment Theory

In your paper, be sure include the following:

• APA formating
• Double-spacing
• 12 point font

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