Attachment appears as a concept that is determined in the early stages of life and regulates the dynamics of individuals' close relationships and is thought to be continuous. The social, psychological and developmental problems experienced by children growing up in hospitals and nursing homes since infancy in the 1940s are the biggest factor that played a role in the development of attachment theory. Attachment theory was first put forward by British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby in 1969. The theory argues that the prerequisite for a healthy physical and psychological development of the baby depends on the relationship it establishes with its caregiver (Bowlby, 1969). According to Bowlby, attachment is accepted as a special bond that allows the individual to enjoy spending time with the people he values in his life and to feel relieved when he is with those people in times of distress, anxiety and sadness. This bond can occur between parents and the baby or between the first caregiver and the baby (Bowlby, 2005). In this context, attachment theory is expressed as an emotional chain that contributes to the laying of the foundations of self-development in children and the development of children's thoughts about the outside world (Bowlby, 1988).
ATTACHMENT TYPES
Secure Attachment
The primary condition for secure attachment to occur is that the person caring for the baby is sensitive, skilled and compatible (Crenshaw and Stewart, 2019, p.130). In order for babies to be securely attached, the attachment figure must be warm, sincere and accessible. In a secure attachment style, the baby is not afraid to explore his environment. Babies feel threatened when separated from the attachment figure, but show positive reactions when the caregiver returns. While babies find peace and calm in the presence of their mothers thanks to the secure bond; In the absence of the mother, they experience stress (Sümer, 2006). Mothers of securely attached babies exhibited a behavioral pattern that was more caring, sensitive, comforting to their children, and left their children freer to explore the environment (Aspelmeir, Kerns, 2003; Pietromonaco, Barrett, 2000; Rothbard, Shaver, 1994; Thompson, 1999). Your secure connection In order for this to happen, mothers must have an uninterrupted and always accessible structure. When these conditions are provided, children can experience a sense of security even in stressful conditions and actively demonstrate the behaviors required by the developmental period.
Avoidant Attachment
The most important thing for babies with an avoidant attachment style is Its characteristic is that a strong emotional bond has not been established between them and their mothers. Mothers of babies with an avoidant attachment style display behaviors that are cold, angry, more indifferent to their children, more distant, more rejecting, and more insensitive to their children's desire for closeness (Beatson, Taryan, 2003; Parker, Scannell, 1998; Pietromonaco, Barrett, 2000; Pound, 1982). ). Babies learn these escape behaviors from their caregivers through observation. These babies show careless attitudes when they are with their mothers. They do not react to this situation when they are separated from their mothers. Babies who were reunited with their mothers directed their attention to the environment and stayed away from their mothers (Ainsworth et al., 1978). The cold and angry behavior of attachment figures towards babies causes them to alienate themselves over time and cause babies to adopt an avoidant attachment style (Küçük, 2020). According to Bowlby, when mothers' avoidance level is high, they do not show interest because they reflect their negative perceptions of others to their children, thus evaluating them negatively. In this context, children who do not receive sufficient attention from their mothers develop a mental model that others are unreachable and unreliable.
Anxious (Fearful) Attachment
The most important reason for anxious attachment is that the caregiver neglects the child as a result of displaying inconsistent behavior and not showing sufficient interest. Anxiously attached individuals show stressful behavior and resistance when separated from the attachment figure. They often try to cope with crying spells in stressful situations. When the caregiver leaves the room, aggressive behavior and crying spells occur. When the caregiver returns to the room, the crying crises continue and the tension does not end (Gökmen, 2009). ). Mothers of babies with an anxious attachment style are inconsistent in the love and attention they show to the child, and exhibit behaviors that are eager to direct the child in an interventionist manner (Aspelmeir, Kerns, 2003). Levy, Blatt, Shaver (1998) say that the children of parents who put their own needs above the needs of their children have an anxious attachment style.
How Do Attachment Styles Affect the Child's Life?
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Securely attached children feel understood, accepted and valued by their parents. The self-confidence of children growing up with this behavioral pattern is positively supported. Research on attachment shows that children who develop a secure attachment style in the first years of life are less dependent than those with insecure attachment and are more interested in the process of exploring the environment. In addition, thanks to the secure attachment style, children can cope more easily with stressful situations and challenging life events. In the anxious attachment style, children develop negative expectations towards their environment and other people, may feel threatened in most situations, and may feel feelings of worthlessness intensely (Knox, 1999). Depression, anxiety disorders or behavioral problems are more common in children who have developed an insecure attachment style. In a study examining the relationship between attachment styles and communication styles, it was found that securely attached individuals were more positive in understanding, trusting and communicating with other people and in creating close relationships; It has been revealed that individuals with anxious/ambivalent attachment behave quite negatively in their communication styles (Subaşı and Kazan, 2020). The most valuable thing that parents should do for their children is to make their children feel that they love and value them as parents, without the need for them to make any effort for their parents.
Attachment style describes the child's attachment behaviors in close relationships throughout his life as positive or negative. may affect it negatively. For this reason, it is very important that the attachment style established in early childhood is healthy. It is important.
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