Attachment and Behaviour

Attachment and behavior

From a behavioral perspective, attachment is represented by a group of instinctive infant behaviors that serve to form the attachment bond, protect the child from fear and harm, and aid in the infant's protected exploration of the world. These behaviors include:

reaching
crying
grasping
smiling
vocalizing
clinging
sucking
moving

All of these behaviors assist in facilitating the maximum physical and emotional development of the child. These particular behaviors may vary from one culture or society to others, but the attachment relationship appears to be universal.

Attachment and emotions

From an emotional perspective, attachment is the development of a mutual bond in which the primary caregiver positively influences infant development through the interactions and relationship that person has with the child. Babies are unable to regulate themselves and become overwhelmed by their emotional states, including those of fear, pleasure, and sadness. Babies are unable to keep themselves in a state of equilibrium, as they lack the skills to control either the intensity or the duration of those emotions. In an attached relationship, babies rely on their primary caregiver to help them navigate the world. The primary caregiver serves as a secure base that is used for exploration and learning. At the same time, the infant forms the necessary skills of self-protection and intimacy.

Other important functions that a secure attachment between an infant and his or her caregiver serves for the developing child include the following:

learning basic trust, which serves as a basis for all future emotional relationships
exploring the environment with feelings of safety and security, which leads to healthy intellectual and social development
developing the ability to control behavior, which results in effective management of impulses and emotions
creating a foundation for the development of identity, which includes a sense of capability, self-worth, and a balance between dependence and independence
establishing a moral framework that leads to empathy, compassion, and conscience
generating a core set of beliefs
providing a defense against stress and trauma

Read more: http://www.healthofchildren.com/A/Attachment-Between-Infant-and-Caregiver.html#ixzz4btxlESma