Modelling and observational learning
Social signals - conveying social and emotional information
Managing interactions
Imitations
Social referencing
A selective enduring, affective tie to the caregiver
Proximity-promoting behaviors such as crying and seeking
The interplay between attachment and exploration systems
Formation of internal working models
Nonfocused Orienting and Signaling (0-3 months)
Focus on One or More Figures (3-6 months)
Secure Base Behavior (6 months and older)
Goal-corrected Partnership (3 years and older)
Secure
Insecure avoidant
Insecure resistant
Disorganized
Parental sensitivity and responsiveness
Child temperament and genetic differences
Environmental influences and caregiving practices
Cultural differences and societal norms
Using the mother as a base to explore from
Showing distress during separation from the mother
Being comforted by the mother upon reunion
Autonomous (secure): Describe childhood and parents objectively, regardless of the nature of experiences.
Dismissing (avoidant): Defensively distance themselves from emotional content, normalize harsh experiences.
Preoccupied (anxious): Confused and ambivalent toward parents, emotionally overwhelmed.
Unresolved: Unable to resolve feelings relating to trauma or loss.
Stability is generally modest and can be influenced by risk status.
Early attachment experiences have a stable influence across the lifespan.
Attachment can change from insecure to secure with interventions.
Parental responsiveness, sensitivity, and appropriate expectations
Consistent and timely parental responses
Secure attachment style of the parent
Behavioral observations
Representational measures like story-stem paradigms
Adult Attachment Interview (AAI)
Early attachment influences later social competence and mental health.
Attachment helps in the development of self-regulation skills.
Early attachment relationships provide templates for future relationships.
Attachment reduces stress through proximity-seeking behaviors.
The parent demonstrates a task while the child watches.
The parent uses facial expressions to show approval or disapproval.
The parent guides the child through a social interaction with another child.
An infant mimics the actions of their caregiver.
An infant looks at the caregiver's facial expressions for cues in new situations.
An infant reacts to the caregiver's emotional expressions during the visual cliff experiment.
The child seeks comfort from their caregiver when distressed.
The child cries when separated from the caregiver but is easily comforted upon reunion.
The child shows consistent proximity-seeking behaviors.
The infant shows a preference for primary caregivers over strangers.
The infant displays goal-corrected behaviors to maintain proximity to the caregiver.
The infant uses the caregiver as a secure base from which to explore.
The infant shows separation anxiety when the caregiver leaves.
The infant exhibits contradictory behaviors towards the caregiver, such as approaching but looking away.
The infant displays overt signs of fear towards the caregiver.
The infant displays stereotypic or jerky movements when the caregiver returns.
The responsiveness and sensitivity of teachers to the students' needs.
The students' temperament and individual differences.
The consistency and appropriateness of teachers' responses to students.
The cultural background of the students and their families.
The child uses the parent as a base to explore new toys.
The child shows distress when the parent leaves the room.
The child actively seeks the parent's comfort when upset.
The adult displays confusion and disorientation when discussing past trauma or loss.
The adult distances themselves from emotional content, normalizing harsh experiences.
The adult idealizes their parents despite describing difficult childhood experiences.
Training parents to respond promptly and consistently to their children's needs.
Providing emotional support and resources to parents to reduce stress and improve caregiving.
Facilitating positive parent-child interactions through guided play and communication exercises.
Observing behavioral interactions with caregivers.
Using story-stem paradigms or doll-play scenarios.
Analyzing responses to hypothetical scenarios about relationships.
Children with secure attachments show higher social competence with peers.
Securely attached children have fewer internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Insecurely attached children are more likely to display externalizing behaviors like aggression.
The parent models appropriate behavior for the child to observe and imitate.
The parent gives clear social signals through facial expressions and tone of voice.
The parent actively manages and guides the child's interactions with peers.
The infant imitates the caregiver's actions during play.
The infant uses social referencing to understand unfamiliar situations.
The infant shows distress when the caregiver leaves but is easily comforted upon return.
Seeking proximity to the caregiver when frightened.
Crying and clinging to the caregiver when separated.
Using the caregiver as a secure base for exploration.
Secure Base Behavior (6 months and older)
Beginning around 3 years of age.
Child and caregiver negotiate attachment needs collabo
Language and cognitive development allow understanding of others' perspectives.
The infant is distressed by the caregiver's absence but is easily comforted upon reunion.
The infant uses the caregiver as a secure base to explore the environment.
The child shows little distress during separation.
The child avoids or ignores the caregiver upon reunion.
The child engages in exploration without seeking the caregiver's proximity.
The adult idealizes parents despite describing difficult childhood experiences.
The adult normalizes harsh experiences and minimizes their impact.
The adult is unable to recall specific childhood memories.
Behavioral observations during interactions with caregivers.
Story-stem paradigms and doll-play scenarios.
Hypothetical scenarios about relationships.
Consistent and sensitive caregiving.
Interventions aimed at improving caregiver-child relationships.
Environmental changes and stressors.
Sensitivity to the child's cues.
Consistent and appropriate responses to the child's needs.
Being emotionally available and attuned to the child.
Securely attached children show higher levels of social competence.
Secure attachment is linked to fewer internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Prompt and consistent parental responses.
Emotional availability and sensitivity of the parent.
behavioural observations based on the separation-reunion paradigm
story-stem completion tasks
parent reported questionnaires
child-attachment interview
child self-report questionnaire
object permanence
Effects are modest to moderate across time.
Early parent-child attachments appear to have the strongest implications for later social, interpersonal relations, and important but comparatively weaker implications for psychopathology.
The effects are enduring across time.
Infants aged around 3 to 6 months old typically aim their attachment behaviours at people who regularly take care of them.
Infants of around 6 months or older begin to show secure base behaviour.
Attachment experiences are encoded into internal cognitive structures of self, others, and relationships.
regulation of stress and arousal
internal working model
Correct stability of the quality and characteristics of the parent-child relationship across childhood and adolescence