Hello Class,
Attachment is defined as the emotional tie to a parent experienced by an infant, from which the child drives security (Boyd & Bee, 2009). The Parent / Child attachment is described as a developing mutual and interlocking pattern of attachment behaviors called Synchrony. The foundation for attachment comes into play within only days after birth. Bowlby suggests the four phases of the development of infant attachment in the stages described below:
Phase 1: Non-focused orienting and signaling ( Birth - 3 months ).
Phase 2: Focus on one or more figures ( 3 - 6 months ).
Phase 3: Secure base behavior ( 6 - 24 months ).
Phase 4: Internal model ( 24 months and beyond ).
The attachment quality of a parent and child also plays a role in the long term effect of a child's ability to bond later in life. Adolescence who were securely attached during infancy are said to have higher self esteem,are more social and have more intimate relationships then those who have insecure or avoidant attachments. The quality of attachment in infancy also predicts sociability through early, middle, and late adulthood (Van Lange, DeBruin, Otten, & Joireman, 1997).
~ Nessa
Reference:
Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2009). Lifespan development (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.