Adult and Children Attachment Theory - Essay Example

Bowlby contended that such conduct was common amongst several mammals and hypothesized that it represented an evolutionary function (Fraley).  

The principal postulate in the context of research on attachment in human infants is that an infant depicts secure attachment, only if its needs are responded to in a sensitive manner by its parent. Analogously, insecure attachment can be attributed to the insensitive response by a parent (Acton).

One researcher, namely Ainsworth, opined that there were two types of insecure attachment, namely, ambivalent and avoidant. Thereupon, this classification of infant behavior, as ambivalent, avoidant, and resistant was applied to such behavior. According to this perception, a secure infant tries to come into contact, attempts to come near a parent, or greets a parent who is at a distance from it. On the other hand, an infant of the avoidant category attempts to evade a parent. Finally, an infant that has been classified as resistant or ambivalent displays its hostility towards a parent, either in an active or passive manner (Acton).

The attachment theory is not restricted to the emotional response in infants, but also to obtain a proper perception of unhappiness, love, and solitude among adults. The various styles, regarding attachment, found in adults are a consequence of the working models of that person, which had formed during that person’s early years, after birth (Acton).

A person whose perception of secure attachment has been developed is likely to behave in a manner that is culturally acceptable. As such, when people, who are in each other’s presence, communicate with each other, they tend to be courteous and agreeable, irrespective of their identities. Whereas, the very same individuals, may not depict such behavior if they are communicating from a distance or in some symbolic fashion. In a study on Israeli Jewish students, it was discovered that a primed secure attachment enhanced appreciation for benevolence and universalism. Moreover, universalism was seen to be intimately associated with a lowering of military attitudes. These conclusions are not final and further research is essential before arriving at any generalizations (Christopher and Park