The Many Faces Of Attachment

Do you remember how you felt, as a small child, when you missed the person to whom you were closest? Have you observed a content baby starting to fuss or cry when handed to a stranger? Are you surprised how vividly you, or other adults you know, remember events from early years that involve separation or loss? The powerful implications of early attachments continue to draw researchers from such various disciplines as child development, early childhood education, clinical psychology, pediatrics, sociology, and anthropology. The more we learn about attachment, the more we come to understand not only its far-reaching effects on human development but, also, the many faces of attachment in the early years.

This week, you studied various forms of early attachment, the importance of secure loving relationships for healthy development, and the long-term consequences of problematic early attachments. For a visual reminder of early bonding and attachment behaviors, review the course media for this week.

From the following variety of topics/concepts related to attachment, select one that attracts you strongly and/or stirs your curiosity:

• Synchrony
• Secure attachment
• Social referencing
• Attachment and prosocial behavior/empathy in young children
• Attachment and emotion regulation in young children
• Attachment and the development of spirituality in children

Next, conduct research on your topic/concept:

• Search the library for scholarly articles that provide further information about your chosen concept.
• Search the Internet for additional resources.
• From all resources you reviewed, select three that you find most relevant. At least two sources must be from scholarly journals.
• Study and reflect on the additional information you found.

By Day 3

Post:

• A brief description of the concept you chose and why you chose it
• Citations for the three resources you selected, in APA format
• At least one insight, fact, or new learning from each of the resources
• A personal reflection including:
  • Anything that surprised you and/or dispelled an assumption
  • The additional information you found important, noteworthy, and/or unusual