Loading subject page…
14,550 views
Video Summary: What Is Attachment
Did you know that infant monkeys chose comfort over food when given the choice? Erikson's theory of socioemotional development in childhood reveals how early emotional bonds shape lifelong relationship patterns. Harry Harlow's groundbreaking research at Stanford University demonstrated that attachment forms through contact comfort, not just feeding. Understanding What is Attachment helps explain how secure emotional bonds in infancy influence trust, autonomy, and social skills throughout childhood development. Watch the full video on JoVE Coach to master this concept with expert-led visuals and step-by-step explanations.
Attachment represents one of the most fundamental aspects of human development, establishing the blueprint for how we connect with others throughout our lives. This deep emotional bond between infants and their primary caregivers serves as the cornerstone for healthy socioemotional development, directly connecting to erikson's theory of socioemotional development in childhood explained through trust versus mistrust in the first stage of psychosocial development.
John Bowlby's attachment theory revolutionized our understanding of infant development by proposing that children are biologically predisposed to form attachments with caregivers for survival. Unlike previous theories that emphasized feeding as the primary bond, Bowlby argued that attachment serves an evolutionary purpose-ensuring protection and safety. This concept becomes particularly relevant when understanding erikson's theory of socioemotional development in childhood, as secure attachment directly influences a child's ability to develop basic trust, the foundation for all subsequent psychosocial stages.
Harry Harlow's famous experiments at the University of Wisconsin fundamentally changed how psychologists viewed infant needs. His research with rhesus monkeys demonstrated that contact comfort-the need for physical closeness and warmth-was more important than nutrition in forming attachments. Infant monkeys consistently chose the soft, cloth-covered surrogate mother over the wire mother that provided food, especially when frightened or distressed. This finding has profound implications for child development practices in American daycare centers, hospitals, and family settings, emphasizing the importance of responsive, comforting care.
Mary Ainsworth expanded Bowlby's work by developing the Strange Situation procedure, a standardized assessment still used today in developmental psychology research across major US universities. This experiment revealed distinct attachment patterns: securely attached children use their caregiver as a safe base for exploration, show appropriate distress during separation, and seek comfort upon reunion. Insecurely attached children either avoid their caregiver (avoidant attachment) or display inconsistent, anxious behaviors (ambivalent attachment). These patterns predict social competence, academic performance, and emotional regulation skills throughout childhood-concepts frequently tested on AP Psychology exams and college developmental psychology courses.
For students preparing for standardized tests like the AP Psychology exam or college midterms, understanding how to understand erikson's theory of socioemotional development in childhood requires recognizing that attachment security directly influences the successful resolution of Erikson's first psychosocial crisis. Children with secure attachments are more likely to develop basic trust, setting the stage for healthy autonomy, initiative, and industry in subsequent developmental stages.
Related Micro-courses
