Introduction
Attachment theory is founded on basic but critical principles which claim that that the differences in attachment between individuals can be traced back to early Care Giving; that early differences have multiple implications for patterns of adaptation in later development and that the patterns provide the basis for the differences in the emerging self during developmental stages, (Berghaus, 2011). The theory has multiple implications and applications since its proposition that cognitive schemas which are based on earlier repeated experiences with caregivers directly influence how people perceive and act while in interpersonal relationships is both simplistic and practical, (Mikulincer, Gillath, Halevy, Avihou, Avidan, and Eshkoli, 2001). Two key factors, which come to play in the attachment theory, are people’s previous experiences and his or her current circumstances. The paper will attempt to provide a critique for attachment theory since its conception to the latest ideas and research.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the study will be to provide a critique for the various tenets that define attachment theory with the aim of delineating the most important frameworks that characterize human attachment.
Research Questions
What are the principal tenets of attachment theory and the significant attachment patterns?
What are the various models commonly referred to in attachment theory research?
What are the current developments and the limitations of Attachment Theory?
The study will be of immense importance to social clinical, cognitive, developmental, industrial, personality and social psychologists.
Annotated Bibliography
Berghaus, B. J. (2011). “A New Look at Attachment Theory & Adult “Attachment” Behavior.”
Behaviorology Today, 14(2): 3-9. 7
Giving a comprehensive background of attachment theory, the study attempts to establish a new perspective of the theory and its relation with adult attachment behavior. The study is selected since it gives a comprehensive background of attachment theory from the works of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth to its development, impact on psychology for the past half century, clinical utility and criticisms. The paper attempts to address gaps in knowledge noting that even though the theory has multiple strengths, modern proponents have ‘lost their way’. The article identifies multiple loopholes on the contemporary philosophies questioning certain assumptions such as that; humans evolved an attachment behavior system as it offers an evolutionary advantage. The research is predictive and also adds to knowledge noting that for any progress to be made with attachment theory, it must be reexamined through behaviorologic research and analysis. The study will be of great interest to social, clinical and developmental behaviorologists and psychologists.
Ciechanowski, P. S., Walker, E. A., Katon, W. J. And Russo, J. E. (2002). “Attachment Theory:
A Model for Health Care Utilization and Somatization.” Psychosomatic Medicine, 64:660–667.
The study purposes to establish a link between attachment theory and somatization. The paper has two key hypotheses: that patients with preoccupied and fearful attachment would have higher physical symptoms compared to patients with other attachment styles and that patients with preoccupied attachment would have higher and fearful attachment with lower primary care costs and utilization. The study is selected since there is knowledge deficiency on the relationship between various attachment styles and somatic conditions. The study uses a method that categorizes attachment styles as secure, preoccupied, dismissing or fearful. Imperatively, there is considerable knowledge gap on how attachment styles relate to other primary health care utilization and symptom reporting. The study sought to understand complex phenomena between two seemingly unrelated areas with results indicating that attachment styles significantly affected symptoms reporting. As an implication, it is evident that increased symptom reporting is not uniformly associated with increased utilization in medical patients.
Hardy, T. L. (2007). “Attachment Theory and Reactive Attachment Disorder: Theoretical
Perspective and Treatment Implications.” Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 20 (1): 27–39
Lyons Hardy in the paper purposes to analyze and highlight some of the current perspectives in attachment theory, reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and how the implications can be used in treating an 8 year old case study. The key research problem is whether there is a relationship between the quality of early attachment and future personality and brain development. The study concludes that psychopathology within early adulthood and childhood may result into attachment disturbance. The study uses multiple multidisciplinary literatures that have focused on RAD and attachment theory. The study has been selected since it uses a number of papers that substantiate how critical early attachment relationships are to human development. The study seeks to address gaps in knowledge present in how attachment theory affects the treatment of RAD. The study tests and generates new ideas by comparing past studies to come up with affective approaches to the treatment of children with attachment disorders. The study will particularly be of interest to neuropsychoanalysts and developmental psychologists.
Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., Halevy, V., Avihou, N., Avidan, S. and Eshkoli, N. (2001).
“Attachment Theory and Reactions to Others’ Needs: Evidence That Activation of the Sense of Attachment Security Promotes Empathetic Responses.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, (6): 1205-1224
The paper based on five studies purposes to examine how both contextual and chronic activation of attachment security affects individual’s reactions to the needs of others. The study is selected since its approach was unique and used multiple methods of measuring attachment security including recollection of personal memories, reading stories and looking pictures of supportive others. There were gaps in knowledge on how attachment security is comparable to attachment-insecurity schemas hence the study was able to assess empathy, personal distress and the accessibility of empathy. The key predictions of the study are that; participants in attachment security priming condition would report more empathy, that the lower the anxiety and avoidance scores are the stronger the empathy rating and that the higher the attachment anxiety scores, the stronger the personal distress rating. Multiple related literature examined supported the hypothesized link between attachment security and the resulting reactions to other’s needs. The study sought to predict and add to new knowledge with results indicated that attachment anxiety and avoidance were negatively related to empathy, while the former was positively related to personal distress.
Miles, K. (2011). “Using attachment theory in mentoring.” Nursing Times, 107: 38, 23-25
The double blind peer reviewed article defines attachment theory and links the theory to the improvement of the quality of mentoring experience. It also describes the stages of the mentoring relationship and the implications of the theory to future research.
The study is selected since it offers important insight between the attachment theory and how both children and adults relate in times of stress. Knowledge gaps in both direct and indirect links between attachment theory and mentoring are addressed with issues such as; the link between attachment styles and effective mentoring also analyzed. The study purposes to understand the nature, cause and effect of how attachment from both training and development perspective together with different styles of attachment can advance the quality the mentoring experience for both the mentees and the mentors. The study focuses on nurses hence should be of interest health professionals, besides it has implications nursing practice as they provide formal or informal psychosocial functions as mentors to patients.
Rom, E. and Mikulincer, M. (2003). “Attachment Theory and Group Processes: The Association
Between Attachment” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(6): 1220-1235.
The paper summarizes the findings of four studies and examines the differences in attachment styles within related groups’ cognitions and behaviors. The paper was selected since much of the discussions emphasized the relevance of attachment theory with regards to group contexts. Studies one and two purposed to establish group related cognitions and emotions, while studies three and four sought to assess cohesion within small groups from the perspective of attachment theory. The paper also examines how and whether attachment style within close relationships have any associations with memories, goals, emotions and appraisals which are the key determinants in how individuals interact within groups.
Related literatures are also analyzed forming various conceptions, for example, as noted by Bowlby 1973, attachment theory has attempted to explain how individual differences affect ties between individuals in groups. They further note that similar studies have focused on ‘the construct of relationship attachment style’ with major typologies being secure, anxious and avoidant styles. The research tends to describe relatively complex phenomena besides generating new ideas and examining past studies. The findings are of interest to group therapists, psychologists, team leaders, business leaders and educators who work with groups of learners. As predicted by the study’s hypotheses, group level constructs are highly relevant in understanding attachment style differences in how group members relate. Anxiety was related to the pursuit of goals within group tasks and group cohesion also affected attachment anxiety besides, attachment anxiety and avoidance in close relationships were both closely associated with negative cognitions and emotions within the group.
Sroufe, A. L., Carlson, A. E., Levy, A. K. and Egeland, B. (1999). “Implications of Attachment
Theory for Developmental Psychopathology.”Development of Psychopathology, 11(1): 1-13.
The article attempts to illuminate attachment theory as a theory of both psychopathology and normal development in equal measure since it deals with the both normal and abnormal courses of human development. The paper uses a descriptive approach in showing the specific propositions of the theory focusing on how both past experiences and current circumstances affect an individual’s adaptation. The article is selected since it discusses various compelling arguments such as the theoretical basis of attachment theory whether it is based on organizational construct or trait, the dynamic role of early experience and the nature of early relationship disturbance. The conceptual approach traces theoretical implications of the attachment theory for developmental psychopathology. Its data illustrate theoretical ideas from the Minnesota longitudinal parent-child study. Previously published data are not presented in detail but summarized to support the study. The paper examines the past with the intent of generating and testing new ideas. The study discuses a number of topics with the objective of coming up with a proposed dynamic systems theory of psychopathology based upon complex interactions of different factors in the course of development.
Zamanian, K. (2011). “Attachment Theory as Defense: What Happened to Infantile
Sexuality?”Psychoanalytic Psychology, 28(1): 33-47.7
In his paper, Zamanian Kaveh analyzes how ideas have progressively shifted from Freud’s concepts of infantile sexuality to the conceptions of attachment as the key determinant of psychological development. The study is selected since it describes how ideas have evolved from Freud’s Wild Analysis to the most recent theories of attachment. It also analyzes concepts such as fantasy and sexuality and how they affect the relationship between the mind and body. The research indicates that there is a considerable gap in knowledge on whether infantile sexuality or early attachment is the key variable in development. The research problem focuses on whether infantile sexuality and its concepts which emphasize on the body as the determinant of early emotional self regulation have far reaching effects on human development. The study examines the past and also adds to new knowledge; it also comprehensively focuses on concepts such as relationships, attachment, love and intimacy. Psychoanalysts and sexuality scholars will find the study interesting since it questions some of the fundamentals of Freud’s theories which form the back bone of psychoanalysis and psychosexuality.
