Attachment

= Definition: toc =

The strong affectionate bind a child forms with the mother or primary caregiver. Gen Psych, Chapter 8, p. 257

= Examples: = An infant could reach, grasp, or cry when primary caregiver enters or leaves the room.

__Establishing Attachment:__
 * //Phase 1: Nonfocused orienting and signaling (birth to 3 months)://** Babies exhibit behavior such as crying, smiling, and making eye contact, then draw the attention of others and signal their needs. They direct these signals to everyone with whom they come into contact.


 * //Phase 2: Focus on one or more figures (3 to 6 months)://** Babies direct their "come here" signals to fewer people, typically those with whom they spend the most time, and are less responsive to unfamilar people.


 * //Phase 3: Secure base behavior (6 to 24 months)://** True attachment emerges. Babies show "proximity-seeking" behaviors such as following and clinging to caregivers whom they regard as "safe bases", especially when they are anxious, injured, or have physical needs such as hunger. Most direct these behaviors to a primary caregiver when that person is available and to others only when the primary caregiver, for some reason, cannot or will not respond to them or is absent.


 * //Phase 4://** Internal model (24 months and beyond): An internal model of the attachment relationship allows children older than 2 to imagine how an anticipated action might affect the #|bonds they share with their caregivers. The internal model plays a role in later relationships with early caregivers and in other significant relationships throughout life.



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= Mnemonics: = //** A **// LWAYS //**T**//REAT //**T**//ENDERLY //**A**//VOID //**C**//RITICISM //**H**//ELP //**M**//AINTAIN //**E**//NTHUSIASM //**N**//EVER //**T**//ALK-DOWN

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