Learn the history of attachment theory (known today as attachment parenting), and the benefits of creating a secure attachment with your infant and/or child.

1. By Hannah McHardy

3. An educational
presentation for
parents of infants 0-2
years old on the
importance of secure
attachment.

4. Contents
 What is attachment?
 Attachment Theory
 History of Attachment Theory
 Patterns, Characteristics and Stages of
Attachment
 Benefits of Secure Attachment
 Facilitating Secure Attachment

5. Attachment
noun
“The affectional tie…that
binds them together in space
and endures over time” –
Mary Ainsworth“Lasting psychological
connectedness between
human beings.” –John
Bowlby
“Attachment describes the whole caregiving
relationship between mother or father and baby.
Attachment begins in pregnancy, intensifies after
the baby is born, and continues as the child grows.”
– William Sears
Please click here
and watch a video
on attachment

6. Attachment Theory
Centered on the emotional
bonds between people,
Attachment Theory suggests
that our earliest attachments
have a lasting impact on our
lives.
Developed from the joint work
of John Bowlby (1907-1991) and
Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999), as
well as other theorists and
researchers. (1)

8. The Okinawan
History of Attachment
Before a formal theory on attachment was
developed, two US medical officers station in
Okinawa during World War II noticed the lack of
mental disease on the island even after suffering
from war. Dr. James Maloney believed the
“psychological stamina” of the Okinawan people
stemmed from the “excellent start the Okinawan
child gets in life”. Together with Commander JJ
Cammisa, the doctors made an educational film
called “The Okinawan” which became the subject of
nationwide interest in the US. (2)

9. The Okinawan
History of Attachment
“In contrast to the West, where bottle-feeding was quickly becoming the norm,
Okinawan mothers breastfed, not only to nourish their babies, but also to give
comfort. He noticed how the mothers would carry their babies on their backs in
beautiful fabric carriers and let them nurse whenever they needed- not on a strict
schedule. Most babies were nursed until at least two years of age or older, and if
babies were not with their mother, they were carried by another family member-
always in contact with someone they knew and trusted.” (3)
Dr. Maloney showed his film
to standing-room-only
audiences in medical schools
all over the country.
The “Okinawan style of
parenting” was taught in
parenting classes and some
hospitals.
Image that accompanied the article about Okinawan parenting in November
1949 issue of Better Homes and Gardens entitled “Is Your Wife Too Civilized?”

10. John Bolwby
History of Attachment
 British child psychologist and psychoanalyst
 Credited as the “Father of Attachment Theory”
he revolutionized our thinking about a child’s
connection with the mother and its disruption
through separation, deprivation, and bereavement. (1)
 Influenced by Freud; he “shared the psychoanalytic
view that early experiences in childhood have an
important influence on development and behavior
later in life” (1)
 Here is a link to a film about John Bolwby’s
formulation of Attachment Theory

11. John Bolwby
History of Attachment
He believed that attachment promotes survival in 3 ways(5):
 Safety
 Safe base for exploration
 Internal working model: The first relationship
(mother-child) forms a template that acts as a
prototype for all future relationships.

12. Source: Aimee Bond http://prezi.com/gz-ncyq-bhq7/bowlbys-attachment-theory/
These are the
characteristics of
attachment

13. Harlow & Zimmerman Experiment
History of Attachment
 (1959) Rhesus monkey babies were separated from their
mothers and reared by surrogates. One surrogate was terry
cloth covered and the other wire mesh.
 Monkeys preferred soft
cloth “mommy”
 Findings: developing a close
bond does not depend on
hunger satisfaction; contact
comfort is more important
and need for closeness and
affection is much deeper.

14. Mary Ainsworth
History of Attachment
 Began research on maternal-infant
attachments while working with John Bowlby
 Developed experiment known as the “Strange
Situation” to observe child attachment
During these assessments, the researcher
observes a child as the mother leaves them
alone in an unfamiliar setting. The child’s
behaviors during separation and upon the
mother’s return were observed. Ainsworth
identified three main styles of attachment
from this research.(4)
Click the video icon to watch a
film on the “Strange Situation”

15. Mary Ainsworth
History of Attachment
She discovered three
main styles of attachment:
1. Secure Attachment
2. Anxious-Ambivalent Insecure Attachment
3. Anxious-Avoidant Insecure Attachment
4. Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment (Fourth added by colleague
Mary Main)

16. Attachment Styles

17. Source: Adapted from Berger, 2011.
Stages of Attachment
Birth to 6 weeks Preattachment. Newborns signal, via crying and body movements, that they need others.
When people respond positively, the newborn is comforted and learns to seek more
interaction. Newborns are also primed by brain patterns to recognize familiar voices and
faces.
6 weeks to 8 months Attachment in the making. Infants respond preferentially to familiar people by smiling,
laughing, babbling. Their caregivers’ voices, touch, expressions, and gestures are comforting,
often overriding the infant’s impulse to cry. Trust develops.
8 months to 2 years Classic secure attachment. Infants greet the primary caregiver, show separation anxiety
when the caregiver leaves, play happily when the caregiver is present. Both infant and
caregiver seek to be close to each other (proximity) and frequently look at each other
(contact). In many caregiver-infant pairs, physical touch (patting, holding, caressing) is
frequent.
2 to 6 years Attachment as launching pad. Young children seek their caregiver’s praise and reassurance as
their social world expands. Interactive conversations and games (hide-and-seek, object play,
reading, pretending) are common. Children expect caregivers to comfort and entertain.
6 to 12 years Mutual attachment. Children seek to make their caregivers proud by learning what adults
want them to learn, and adults reciprocate. Specific accomplishments are valued by adults
and children.
12 to 18 years New attachment figures. Teenagers explore and make friendships on their own, using their
working models of earlier attachments as a base. With more advanced thinking, physical
contact is less important; shared ideals and goals are more influential.
18 years on Attachment revisited. Adults develop relationships with others, especially relationships with
romantic partners and children, influenced by earlier attachment patterns. Past insecure
attachments from childhood can be repaired rather than repeated, although this does not
always happen.

18. The Benefits of a Secure Attachment
 Smarter
 Enhanced Motor
Development
 Healthier
 Less Stress Hormone
(cortisol)
 Promotes: Intimacy,
empathy, and
cooperation
What Science Says:
 Research by Bell and Ainsworth at Johns Hopkins
University concluded that harmonious mother-
infant attachment correlated with an infant’s
higher IQ and physical development.(6a)
 308 infants in Uganda reared with attachment
parenting were compared to European infants
reared with distant, scheduled parenting by Dr.
Gerber in 1958. Ugandan infants showed
precocious motor and intellectual development
throughout the first year.(6b)
 A study published in Pediatrics in 1989 found that
parent-infant pairs with a lesser quality of
attachment had a higher frequency of
unscheduled acute-care visits. (6c)
 Human infants with the most secure attachment
to their mothers had the best cortisol balance. (6d)
“Securely attached infants are more likely to become secure
toddlers, socially competent preschoolers, high-achieving
schoolchildren, and capable parents.”(4a)

19. How do I create a secure
attachment with my baby?
There are many tips and resources
out there to help parents facilitate
and maintain a strong attachment
to their infant, toddler, or child.
What it comes down to is
sensitively responding to your
child’s need for connection.

21. Dr. Sears’ 7 B’s of Attachment (6e)
1. Birth bonding
2. Breastfeeding
3. Babywearing
4. Bedding close to
baby
5. Belief in baby’s cries
6. Beware of “baby
trainers”
7. Balance and
boundaries
Breastfeeding requires a mother to
learn and respond to her baby’s
cues, which is the first step to
getting to know your baby and
building a trusting relationship
The hours and days after birth are a
sensitive period. Spending lots of
time together after birth allows the
natural attachment-promoting
behaviors of the infant and the
intuitive, biological caregiving
qualities of the mother to come
together.
Babies need a lot from their parents
in the early days; it’s easy to neglect
your own needs and those of your
marriage. Learn when to say no and
when to say yes, and have the
wisdom to say yes to yourself when
you need help.
Carried babies fuss less and spend
more time in a state of quiet
alertness, the behavioral state in
which babies learn most about their
environment and are nicest to be
around.
There is no one right place for all
babies to sleep, but most babies
sleep best when they are close to
their parents, because it reduces
separation anxiety at night. Sleeping
close can help some busy parents
connect with their babies.
Crying is a babies way of
communicating designed to ensure
it’s survival and to develop the
parents’ caregiving abilities. Babies
cry to communicate, not to
manipulate. By responding
sensitively to your baby’s cries he
learns to trust you.
People will tell you, “Let him cry it
out,” Get him on a schedule,” and
“Don’t hold her too much, you’ll
spoil her!” This is outdated and
misguided advice that assumes
babies cry to manipulate. Research
has shown us the importance of
attachment over and over again.

22. They only spend a short
time in your arms, yet
the imprint of love and
availability last a
lifetime.

23. Citations
(1) Bretherton, Inge. "The Origins of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth."
Developmental Psychology 28: 759-775. Print.
(2) Parker, Lysa. "The Lesson of Okinawa." . Attachment Parenting International, n.d. Web. 26
Apr. 2014. <http://www.attachmentparenting.org/support/articles/okinawa>.
(3) Nicholson, Barbara, and Lysa Parker. Attached at the Heart: Eight Proven Parenting Principles
for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children . Deerfield Beach, FL: Health
Communications, 2013. Print.
(4) Berger, Kathleen Stassen. The developing person: through the lifespan. 8th ed. New York:
Worth Publishers, 2011. Print.
a. Page 197. R. A. Thompson, 2006.
(5) "Attachments." Attachments in development. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2014.
<http://psychology4a.com/attachments_in_development.htm>.
(6) Sears, William and Martha Sears. The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to
Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby. NY, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 2001. Print.
a. Page 13
b. Page 14
c. Page 16
d. Page 18

24. Image Credits
 John Bowlby www.douban.com
 Mary Ainsworth www.peakoilblues.org
 Mother-Child Strange situation http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-
mind/childhood-youth/early-years/attachment-parents
 Harlow & Zimmerman
http://psychology4a.com/attachments_in_development.htm
 Attachment Type Chart resource.rockyview.ab.ca
 Happy baby http://tenminutes.ph/why-you-should-be-concerned-with-the-
new-angle-of-vhong-navarros-mauling-incident/happy-baby/
 Little boy hugging www.littleheartsbooks.com
 Birth bonding www.babybunintheoven.com
 Breastfeeding www.baby-birth.com
 Babywearing www.attachmentparenting.org
 Mama baby sleeping www.attachmentparenting.org
 Baby about to cry www.sheknows.com
 Crying baby quemas.mamaslatinas.com
 Family www.peggyomara.wordpress.com