Concept and Nature of Attachment - Growth of Attachment

Attachment is a strong emotional bond between an infant and an adult (usually the mother or main caregiver). The infant shows attachment by clinging, seeking closeness, and wanting comfort and protection from that person.

a) Aim and setup

• Harlow and his colleagues (1959) studied attachment using infant monkeys.
• Infant monkeys were kept with two artificial (surrogate) “mothers,” one made of plain wire mesh and the other made of wire mesh covered with soft terry cloth, making it soft and comfortable.
• Two feeding conditions were used: in one group, the milk bottle was attached to the plain wire-mesh mother, and in the second, to the wire-mesh mother covered with terry cloth.

b) Behaviour of infant monkeys

• When infant monkeys of both groups were allowed to choose between the wire mesh mother and the terry cloth mother, they spontaneously chose the terry cloth mother.
• They preferred to spend more time clinging to the terry cloth mother than to the plain wire mesh mother.
• When infants were given a chance to be fed only from the wire-mesh mother, they would go to the wire-mesh mother, take milk until they were satisfied, and then return to the terry-cloth mother and rest there for most of the time.

c) Main conclusion

• The experiment shows that the soft contact and comfort provided by the terry cloth mother is more important for attachment than feeding alone.
• In other words, “contact comfort” (soft, warm physical contact) plays a major role in the development of attachment behaviour in infant monkeys.

• Harlow’s experiment cannot be fully generalized to human babies.
• However, some psychologists believe that there is continuity in attachment behaviour from lower species (such as monkeys) to human beings.
• Harlow’s work suggests that comfort and emotional contact are important for attachment, not only food.

• Bowlby (1969) viewed attachment as an innate response.
• According to him:
• The infant naturally seeks contact with the mother when she is present.
• The infant also seeks the mother in frightening or threatening situations.
• These responses encourage the mother to protect her child.
• Bowlby believed that punishing attachment behaviour would not remove it.
• Instead, punishment can increase attachment behaviour because punishment is a threat.
• When threatened, the child will innately and spontaneously try to attach more strongly to the mother.

• The author observes a grandson when he was five years old.
• The child was very attached to his mother and grandfather.
• When they scolded or punished him, he clung to the same person (mother or grandfather) more and more.
• He did not respond when another family member tried to console him.
• He calmed down only when the same person who punished him later consoled and fondled him.
• This real-life example supports Bowlby’s view that attachment behaviour becomes stronger when the child feels threatened or punished, and that the child seeks comfort from the main attachment figure.

a) Role of the mother/caregiver

• In human infants, the mother actively talks to the baby and stimulates the baby to: Smile, Babble, hold her hands, play with her hair, earrings, chains, ears, etc.
• The mother moves her face close to the baby and allows the baby to touch it.
• She allows the baby to play with her hair and fingers and permits these manipulative responses to appear.
• The more the mother talks to the baby while holding the child on her lap, the better is the development of attachment behaviour.

b) Daily care and love

• In addition to play and talking, the mother helps the child in toilet training, tells stories, and puts the child to sleep with love, affection, and tenderness.
• Because of these loving and caring activities, the child becomes more intimately attached to the mother.
• In the absence of the mother, the child also becomes attached to other caretakers who look after him with similar love and care.

c) Role of the adult as attachment object

• In the growth of attachment, the adult becomes the main object for the development of the infant’s attachment behaviour.
• The attachment behaviour of the human child depends on the responses, reactions, and stimulation provided by the adult.

a) Factors that help attachment

• A good hunger–feeding cycle and a congenial (pleasant and friendly) mother–child relationship support the development of attachment.
• Loving, comfortable handling during daily activities like feeding, toilet training, bathing, and other psychomotor activities encourages normal attachment behaviour.

b) Factors that disturb attachment (detachment)

• Displeasure and discomfort during toilet training, bathing, feeding, and other activities can stand in the way of normal attachment behaviour.
• Such unpleasant experiences may become instrumental in the development of detachment behaviour (emotional distancing from the caregiver).

• The development of attachment is transitional, meaning it changes with age.
• Specific attachment behaviours begin with predictable and inborn (innate) behaviours in infancy.
• These behaviours change over time, depending on: The child’s age, the child’s experiences, and Situational factors.
• Attachment behaviour is also influenced by the child’s relationship with: The main caregiver, the mother, Mother substitutes, and other close family members.

• The stimulation from the mother to the child and from the child to the mother is distinct and lasting.
• This makes the attachment process a bilateral (two-way) process.
• The mother–child bond is therefore a complex emotional process, not a simple one-sided action.

• Attachment is a strong emotional bond between an infant and a caregiver, expressed through clinging, seeking comfort, and seeking closeness.
• Harlow’s experiment showed that infant monkeys preferred soft, comforting “mothers” over those that only provided food—proving that emotional comfort is key in attachment.
• Bowlby believed attachment is inborn; children seek caregivers more when frightened or punished, which strengthens the bond.
• In humans, attachment grows through daily loving care—talking, touching, feeding, and comforting by the mother or main caregiver.
• Attachment is two-way, changing with age and experience, and is shaped by both the child’s and caregiver’s responses and actions.