Question

describe the process and development of attachment in terms of the roles that nature and nuture plays.

use examples and be specific

Answer 1

• Attachment is the emotional bond between a child and caregivers.Children seek proximity and consider their parents as their safety net.According to Bowlby's theory,attachment is a bond which is influenced more by nurture than nature,it is considered to be made and not something one is born with.
• Even Mary Ainsworth through her experiment The Strange situation emphasized upon the environmental influences on the child's different attachment styles.Situations were presented in the experiment which involved a child being separated from their caregivers and then brought back after some time to study the child's reaction.
• For instance,it was found that securely attached children,were upset when the caregivers left and seemed happy when they returned back.
• The family environment,culture etc. all influence the attachment in children with their caregivers.Asian cultures,especially Indian culture is based on family bonding so there is high degree of parental involvement with their children,leading more secure attachment than compared to western cultures,where parental involvement is less,as focus is more on making the child independent,which could lead to less attachment of the child with their parents.
• The nature aspect might apply to parent's gender,interactional style and parental experience can also influence the style of attachment.For example,mothers are considered to be more responsive to their child's emotional and other needs than fathers,since they give birth to the child,so the child could react more to the mother and develop secure attachment.Low responsiveness from the mother could lead to insecure attachment in the child.
• A child's temperament could also influence their attachment styles.An easy going child,feels comfortable with parents and even with strangers,show more attachment and less distress as compared to a difficult child,who might become extremely uncomfortable when separated from parents.