Booklet 2

Attachment -  A strong emotion and reciprocal bond between two people. Especially between a child and it's care giver(s). Attachments serve to maintain closeness in the relationship between two people. The each experience stress when seperated. 

Attachments are selective, provide comfort, stranger anxiety, involve proximately seeking and can lead to distress if seperated. 

(Mary Ainsworth - The Strange Situation)

There are 3 types of attachment. These include: (Childs reaction) (Mothers reaction)

• Secure - Upset when mother leaves, happy on renunion. Avoident of stranger when mother is not there, OK when mother is present.
• Sensitive & Responsible. Makes the child feel positive and loved.

• Insecure Avoident - Unconcerned by mothers absense, unresponsive on return, strongly avoident of both mother and stranger.
• Unresponsive. Child feels unwanted and unloved.

• Insecure Resistant - Intense distress on seperation. Fears stranger. Clingy but rejecting on return. 
• Inconsistent. Child fells angry and confused.

Cultural Variations in attachment

Croos-cultural reseach suggests that culture may be an important factor in patterns of attachments. Child rearing varies in different countries and cultures. When people carry out 'The Strange Situation' in different cultures, they find different percentages for each attachment. 

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg wanted…