The child, from birth, establishes an emotionally significant relationship with whoever takes care of him, whose characteristics will have a determining role for the rest of his development. This capacity of human beings has been one of the main topics of study in psychology, however, it is only with Bowlby and the theory of attachment that its principles have been described: an innate predisposition of the child to seek the protective proximity of its reference figure (caregiver) when in conditions of danger, vulnerability and pain.
In this Psychology-Online article we will discover What is secure attachment, with examples, its types and how to encourage it.
What is secure attachment
Children who have had the opportunity to experience a warm and welcoming relationship with your caregiver. The result of this type of interaction is the construction, by the child, of a representation of himself as an individual worthy of loving care, who will be able to approach his own caregiver in times of difficulty, considering him as a secure base for him. to resort to for “emotional supply.” The significant other, in this case, will be represented in the child’s mind as a person emotionally available in moments of difficulty and willing to recognize him or her as a unique, special being to whom to offer care and comfort. These representations, built in the first interactions, will later generalize outwards, allowing the child to create an expectation of the world around him as a place where people may be willing to help him in moments of difficulty throughout your life.
Therefore, we can define the secure attachment like a behavioral and relational organization in which there is an appropriate balance between exploration of the environment and attachment to parentsthat is, between independence/autonomy and dependence.
Characteristics of secure attachment
Securely attached children, in the Strange Situation Procedure, experience the typical anxiety of the separation phase and will signal the activation of the attachment system through recognizable behaviors such as crying. The emotionally close presence of the caregiver (the so-called secure base) during the reunion phase will serve to deactivate the attachment system and will encourage exploration.
Securely attached children consider the mother a secure base for their explorations, having gained confidence in her availability and accessibility in case of need. Therefore, these children have a representation of self as worthy of love and of the other as trustworthy, as they are available and willing to respond to your requests for help and comfort. The caregiver is, in fact, sensitive to the child’s requests, available and willing to provide protection when the child requests it. Future interpersonal relationships will be based, in general, on respect for oneself and for others.
Types of attachment
The attachment system can be activated by external and internal signals, and it is precisely by taking into account the interaction between these characteristics that the different styles with which children react to moments of stress and danger can be identified and recognized. Mary Ainsworth makes a fundamental contribution: thanks to the conception of the Strange Situation Procedure (1978), the researcher was able to make measurable the individual differences found in children’s attachment behaviors. Ainsworth and her collaborators observed three main behavioral strategies put into practice by children during episodes of separation and reunion with the caregiver. In this article, we explain the .
Based on the hypothesis of stability over time of Bowlby’s internal operating models, research on attachment was extended to couple relationships, where Bartolomew and Horowitz defined four attachment styles in adults, based on the image that the individual has of himself and of the other. In this case, secure style means a positive model of self and positive other, and adults with secure attachment tend to have positive opinions about themselves, their partners, and their relationships; They are comfortable with intimacy and independence, balancing the two. The 4 types of attachment are:
Why it is important to foster a secure attachment
The literature on this topic has highlighted that a secure attachment to the caregiver can be considered a factor of protection for the child’s future emotional, cognitive and social development. Thanks to these “safe” experiences, the child can learn the foundations of trust and reciprocity, feel safe when exploring the environment and towards novelties, develop the skills of emotional self-regulation and arousal management in case of stress.
In secure attachment, the child can also develop in a healthy way the ability to, as well as the bases of one’s own identity: sense of competence, self-esteem and balance between autonomy and dependence, learn empathetic behaviors but above all develop a positive internal knowledge of oneself, the other and the relationship (as well as the world). These aspects will protect you in the future in stressful situations, allowing you to better social adaptation and build balanced and rewarding adult relationships. In this article we talk about.
Secure attachment, as is easy to understand, is the main protective factor against the formation of violent and antisocial behavior: in fact, thanks to a caregiver capable of attuning to the child’s needs and providing presence and balanced rules, the child develops the competencies necessary to regulate and modulate impulses and emotions, and to better manage stress and psychological traumadevelops prosocial and empathetic behaviors and is respectful of the rules.
How to foster secure attachment
After seeing the importance of secure attachment, it is normal that you want to know how secure attachment is achieved. For a secure attachment to be established, it is important that the caregiver possesses some qualities:
- Understand the emotional state and implicit needs of the boy or girl is one of the main guidelines to promote secure attachment in children.
- Be sensitive to their needs and messagesreading their needs, is essential to work on secure attachment in boys and girls.
- Knowing how to console him without being judgmental or contemptuous and without oppressing protecting the little one from excessive attention is another of the tips for a secure attachment.
- Know how to be present discreetly when necessarybut also leaving him free to explore and play is the basis for creating a secure attachment with boys and girls.
These capacities are made explicit in a careful perception of the child’s implicit signals and communications, in the precise interpretation of these signals, in affective attunement (empathetic exchange) and in the promptness, appropriateness and completeness of the response given to the child, which is constant in various situations (predictability) and allows the child to build a stable and reassuring image of the reference figure.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Barbier, A. (2019). Style of attachment and sentimental relationships. Retrieved from: https://www.psicoterapiapersona.it/2019/01/19/stili-di-attccamento-e-relazioni-sentimentali/
- Bertanza, G. (2021). Attaccamento mother-bambino. Retrieved from: http://www.giovannibertanza.it/glossario/attaccamento_madre-bambino_3.php
- Zaccagnino, M. (2019). Dalla depressione postpartum all’attaccamento sicuro. Guide to EMDR treatment. Milan: Franco Angeli.