Comparison of Behavior and Attachment Theories - Coursework Example

Running Head: BEHAVIOR AND ATTACHMENT Comparison of Behavior and Attachment Theories Attachment theory is concerned with the human relationship. Attachment develops right from the birth between the infant and primary care providers. Attachment forms the basis of human nature, temperament and behavior. Children who get appropriate attention right from the infancy and formative years engage and accomplish success in their endeavors. Attachment provided to the individual is depicted in their behavior, self-esteem and confidence which they display during adulthood. Childhood attention develops attachment or bonding between the infant and care providers which pave the way of behavior and attitude towards others. As behavior of the individual is framed by various factors such as social where society shapes the personality, family, parents, friends, care providers, the competing environment etc. little is attributed to behavioral theory. Behavior of an individual is adopted and modified; behavior theories are useful for understanding the diverse factors that directly influence the nature and personality of an individual. Introduction Attachment is an emotional connection with other individuals. Attachment theory was first introduced by John Bowlby, who defined attachment as “a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings”. The bond formed between the infant and care providers influence the entire life of the individual. Attachment is the bond that keeps child close to mother, thereby an infant develops a sense of protection or security which is imperative for the developmental psychology of the infant, as the infant understands who is dependable thus, laying a secure base for the individual to explore the world (What Is Attachment Theory? n.d.). Behavior of any individual is attained through habituation and training. A child starts grasping the affection and attention that he gains from every member in his vicinity. In these formative years, behavior and the social interaction with the society paves the way for grooming the personality of the child. It is essential that alterations be made in the behavior when unhealthy attitude is observed. In some grave cases repeated motivation to change the behavior is required which may or may not be related to therapeutic issues. Activities that influence the performance or behavior of an individual are designated as behavior or mental process. Mental process encompasses different cognitive operations which are essential in learning process, procuring knowledge, reasoning, memory or learning skills, perception and outlook, attention and ability to be alert and attentive, language skills and communication, thoughts and aptitude, emotions, decision making and problem solving skills. Behavior aids in being considerate towards brain functioning, communication and interpersonal predispositions, motivation and social behavior along with the physiological as well as neurological predilections. Cognitive understanding deals with the thoughts of the individual and hence the mind process which is imperative to grasp the situation and thinking aptitude of others. Mind processes helps an individual to take hold of or grapple industrial organization, move of the competitor, getting ahead in the augmenting competition, designing curriculum, learning temperament, memory skill enhancement to survive in the mounting competition. The most imperative characteristic of mental process and behavior predisposition is unconscious motives, childhood experiences, conflicts, developmental issues responsible for a congenial and intellectual development that paves the behavior of the individual (Web: Simply Psychology). Behavior problems are one of the most common reasons for which young children are recommended for psychological treatment. Behavior issues like attention and aggression that crop up in early childhood are expected to continue till the late childhood and even to the adolescence (Campbell, 1995). Moreover, young individuals display delinquent behavior which may be unacceptable. However, the etiology of such behavior is not clear, but family plays an imperative role in influencing the behavior of the child as family members and care providers are the primary members with whom the infant interacts and develops the bond. Thus attachment theory provides a lens to view the world with diverse perspective and to develop behavior accordingly (Attachment, Behavior and Learning, n.d.). The review of the literature suggests that the attachment theory includes the evaluation of attachment in infancy and adolescence as it transmits to the categorization design. Behavior theory involves various aspects of individual’s personality encompassing dimensions of the behaviors of concern, violent behavior, delinquency, and attention troubles. The present article deals with the comparison of attachment and behavior theories where attachment provided at the infancy is reflected in the behavior of the person and behavior of the individual directly display the kind of attachment provided right from the stage of infancy. Attachment Theory Bowlby’s attachment theory (1969/1982) was the resultant of ethical studies carried out on animal behavior. He asserted that attachment is an instinct that acts to uphold propinquity to the mother, behavior of the child involving such actions is to remain close to the mother or care provider. According to Rice (1990), situation of stress activates attachment system thereby bring forth attachment behavior. Cicchetti et al (1990), convoluted on diverse aspects of attachment, and highlighted the imperative features of attachment 1) Function of attachment theory is to protect child from danger. 2) Result of attachment theory is to maintain proximity and 3) Objective of attachment theory is to institute/ affirm security. When children get appropriate and reliable response from the caregivers their secure attachment behavior is elicited on the contrary inappropriate or hostile attitude of care providers elicits insecure attachment behavior. Besides providing security it is observed that even in the adverse situation, securely attached children display independent exploration (Ainsworth, 1969). Ainsworth et al. (1978) categorized attachment in infancy such as (a) avoidant attachment- children avoid care providers and do not differentiate between strangers and care providers; such attitude of child is attributed to either ignorance or abuse by the care providers. (b) Secure attachment- infant or child displays distress when gets separated from the care providers and becomes happy when they return. When frightened, child who is securely attached becomes comfortable with the care providers as they know that s/he will get comfort and encouragement from parents/ care providers. (c) Ambivalently attached- 7-15 percent of the U.S. children are suffering from this kind of attachment because of non-availability of mother and they do not rely on care providers when they need help (What is Attachment Theory? n.d.). Attachment relations persist even when attachment figures are not nearby. Such cognitive features derived from all these representations permit individuals to comprehend and anticipate the happenings around them, further develop an understanding and assimilate information to establish relationship with others related or unrelated to them. Attachment beyond infancy Ainsworth and Bowlby asserted that development of internal working models during infancy is maintained all through the life. As the child grown biased perception and cognition depicts the interpersonal environment. The attachment behavior during adolescence is an extension of childhood attachment behavior (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973). The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), involves assessment of internal working models which were instituted right at infancy (Dawson et al., 2014). Main et al., (1985), identified three major patterns of adult attachments. (a) Securely attached- who value attachment relationships. (b) Dismissing attachment- such individuals is not able to recollect moments of attachment rather get annoyed when asked about attachment; such attachment is an extension of avoidance attachment. Behavior Theory Behavior is learned, adapted and inculcated in the personality of an individual. It is developed over a period of time. During behavior development process, surroundings, home atmosphere and upbringing plays a vital role. It involves learning, which brings modifications/ alterations in the behavior. Modifications in behavior are attributed to the experience or practice, as learning is an internal event; it is understood when reflected in behavior of the person. Thus, behavior theory is coined as behavioral learning theory where the relationship between stimulus and response of the organism can be observed. However, conditioning plays a vital role in initiating adaptive behavior, learning transpires through dealings with the surroundings, moreover, environment figures behavior of the individual and hence mental states encompassing sensations and contemplations cannot be considered as a part of learning. As learning is a part of behavior which distinguishes every individual depending on the grasping and attitude, behavior could be modified over the time. The behavioral and poignant problems researchers examined in relationship to attachment can be categorized as “externalizing” which involves aggressive, hyperactivity, attention problems and delinquent behavior and “internalizing” behavior which involves depression, anxiety, withdrawal and complaints (Achenbach, 1985). Externalizing Behavior Externalizing behavior is prevalent in preschool children and persists with 50 percent probability till elementary school and early adolescence (Campbell, 1995). However, Moffitt (1993) documented the behavior similar to antisocial behavior over the lifespan. The features of externalizing behavior relate to attachment, a construct rooted in childhood and speculated to influence behavior all through the life of an individual. Externalizing behavior and attachment together brag strong developmental theories and empirical research in order to sustain the nature of their development from childhood to adolescence. The Relationship between Attachment and Externalizing Behaviors Research depicts that parental warmth and attachment play an imperative role in reducing the negative influences of stress and promote adaptive functioning in kids. On the contrary, insecure attachment is recognized as a risk factor that works together with family atmosphere and surroundings to enhance the likelihood of childhood behavior problems. Questionably, insecure attachment is responsible for deviant behavior when parents do not respond and support their children thereby germinating the seeds of anger and hostility. Such children possibly believe that their care providers will not meet their requirements. Maladaptive pathway is responsible for early insecure attachment which gradually develops into negative models of relationship in later childhood years. Insecure children display their negative feelings towards the care providers by developing negative internal working models of attachment relationships. On the other hand, research carried out with close and affectionate relationships between children and caretakers reveals that attachment facilitates internalization of rules of conduct in the child and enhances the possibility of child committing to the welfare of others (Dawson et al., 2014). Aggressive behavior and Attachment Externalizing behavior encompassing aggressive behavior, attention issues, delinquent behavior, could be co-related with the attachment theory. However, aggression is attributed to poor parent-child attachment; insecure children are found to be more aggressive as compared to securely attached children. Non-compliance and aggressive behavior in childhood because of poor attachment provided by the care providers may be associated with the antisocial behavior in adolescence (The Development of Aggressive Behavior in Children and Young People, n.d.). Attachment and Delinquency Delinquency is related to bad parenting as juveniles develops internal working models of distrust, they lack empathy and concern which culminate into callous disposition of the children. Moreover, delinquent behavior is responsible for criminological temperament; insecurely attached children facilitates the deprived internalization of norms sue to insecure attachment of their parents. However, such juvenile offenders display awful behavior. It was posited that delinquency may be a form of rebellion against attachment. Along with insecure-preoccupied adolescents, delinquency may proceeds as a dysfunctional form of attachment behavior (Unnever et al., n.d.). Attention issues And Attachment. A few researches have been devoted towards exploration of the connection between attention problems and attachment. Ladnier and Massanari (2000) pointed that behavioral characteristics of avoidant children have similarity with ADHD, however, evidence is lacking to authenticate that ADHD occurs with greater propensity amongst children with an avoidant attachment style. On the other hand, another study carried out by Clark et al., (2002), highlighted that attachment insecurity prevalent in children diagnosed with ADHD was dependable with an ambivalent attachment style. According to Smith (1994) dis-attachment which is the repercussion of deprived mother-child bondage exhibit the symptoms of ADHD, further the study claimed that an underlying deficiency of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, is responsible for the symptoms of ADHD in addition to those behaviors that disallow proper parent-child bonding. Ladnier and Massanari (2000) also described ADHD as a consequence of “attachment deficits” resulting from bonding break which is an incident that stops a child from forming a secure attachment with mother or a care provider. The torment of abortive attachment interferes with neurological development, causing attachment deficits, or inadequacies in emotional development of the child. As a result of these emotional deficiencies, behavioral symptoms of ADHD apparently develop in the child. Research examining attention problems as they exists on a continuum from the perspective of attachment theory reveal that transgenerational processes plays a vital role, the parents may not have received positive parenting as a result of this they lack experience of secure attachment or positive attachments. Thus there is a need to understand the problem and relationship to have corrective scripts (Dallos and Smart, 2011). Attachment and Behaviors based on gender A few research studies have shown the impact of attachment on the boys and girls separately. According to Bowlby’s (1969/1982) males and females display secured attachment equally; however, females are likely to exhibit ambivalent attachment, while males are more likely to exhibit avoidant attachment. Boys display more problematic behavior as compared to girls. This is also depicted in psychiatric diagnosis of behavior disorders, where boys and girls display ADHD in the ratio of 3:1 (Robins, 1991). On the contrary, females outnumber in exhibiting co-morbid issues in clinical/adjudicated population as compared to males (Moretti & Odgers, 2002). Substance Abuse and Behavior Parental alcoholism, substance abuse and drug use directly influence the attachment style adopted by the infant or child and the pattern of behavior displayed by the individual (Haller et al., 2011; Brook et al., 2011). Conclusion Attachment is a permanent personal bonding that develops right from the birth of a child. It is a bond that is established within a few days between infant and the care provider. On the basis of primary social environment provided to the infant by the family members and care providers, physical and mental development of the infant commences. Any sort of disorganization in infant attachment or predicaments in the progression and maintenance of providing comfort to the infant by the care providers during apprehensive awakening may impede the attachment and trust of the infant. If the situation continues, it may sow the seeds of psycho-social maladjustment and the child may display externalizing behavior during childhood which may turn out to be delinquent behavior and later the child may develop criminal temperament. Thus attachment disorganization has lasting implications on the personality of an individual and is consistently related to distressed social environment provided by parents and care providers. However, the individual’s behavior during childhood and adolescence is the reflection of parental psychiatric mutilation, especially unusual forms of maternal behavior. The behavior of an individual is the clear depiction of the kind of attachment provided during infancy and early childhood. Delinquent behavior in childhood due to bad parenting may result in violent predisposition. Increase in rate of violence is attributed to bad parenting where parents do not allow an individual to develop secure attachment, love and affection with the family members during infancy. 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