How Does Childhood Attachment Affect Adulthood?

Attachment can be defined as “the close emotional bond between two people”. Attachment begins in the first moments of life. The bond established with the caregiver in the first 3 years of life is critical for the emotional relationships that the person will establish in later years. Thanks to sensitive care and physical comfort, a feeling of trust is formed in the baby and this feeling of trust forms the basis of attachment. This sense of trust also brings with it a lifelong expectation that the world is a good place to be in. Attachment is an individual’s first and most effective strategy for emotion regulation.

Foreign Environment Experience

Marry Ainsworth (1979) developed an observation-based scale called “Stranger Environment” in order to measure secure and insecure attachment styles in infants. The scale includes the stages of meeting, leaving and reuniting with a caregiver and a stranger, respectively. With this study, an idea about the attachment styles was given by observing the infants’ reactions to the foreign environment.

Securely attached infants used their caregivers as a base of security while exploring the environment.

Insecure avoidant babies showed their insecurity by avoiding their caregivers.

Insecure resistant babies first cling to their caregivers and then resist by hitting or pushing their caregivers.

Finally, insecure messy babies showed disorganized, confused behavior and high fear of caregivers.

The Effect of Attachment Styles in Adulthood

Adults who exhibit a secure attachment style are those who display more positive views about their relationships and do not have problems with intimacy. It is seen that they are more successful in their romantic relationships.

Individuals with an avoidant attachment style are adults who are reluctant to engage in romantic relationships and tend to keep their partners away from them.

Individuals with an anxious attachment style have problems with trust and exhibit jealous and possessive behaviors. They act too emotionally; but they have a desire to get closer.

The Importance of Attachment in Adulthood

It is known that secure attachment in the first year of life forms the basis of psychological development in later ages. The secure attachment formed in infancy shows that the relationship between mother and baby is positive. It also lays the foundation for a healthy social and emotional development in later life.

The securely attached baby also exhibits a secure attachment pattern in romantic relationships in adulthood. It is known that they get more satisfaction from their relationships, they have more connected, secure and long-term relationships. In addition, individuals with a secure attachment style receive more support from the environment when they experience situations that cause stress and anxiety, and support them more when the individuals they are in a romantic relationship experience a problem.

Although it can be said that insecure attachment and depression may be related, it can be said that individuals with a secure attachment style have a healthy self-perception, self-esteem, self-efficacy, are successful individuals and are quite successful in coping with stress.

AUTHOR

Psk. Ayşegül MENTESEOĞLU