PYC4805 Developmental Psychology Assignment 1 - Unique number: 549889
Andrea Hodgson Student number 4646-325-9
Assignment Question
“The quality of attachment during infancy lays the foundation for healthy development in a
variety of realms” (Belsky, 2018, p. 114).
Discuss the development of attachment during infancy and how it relates to the
competencies of the infant. Also indicate how attachment milestones may influence the
infant’s first social relationships.
Introduction
There have been many theories on attachment and just how necessary good quality attachment is for
the overall healthy development of the individual. We will look at the different stages of development
during infancy and how they may influence social relationships over the course of the life of an
individual. As we have seen from the textbook it is clear that across the board in humans, and even
some animals, good quality attachment is important for healthy development and may even be a
predictor of obstacles or difficulties later in life. In the following we will look at how attachment
develops and how the milestones involved may have some influence on initial social relationships.
(Belsky, 2018, p. 107)
Discussion
The development of attachment during infancy
Attachment emerges during what is considered the most vulnerable time in an individual’s life, infancy,
and solidifies as the child becomes a toddler. There are several milestones and phases during infancy
that arrive as attachment develops and as the child grows. During the first three months of life infants
are highly reflexive and mostly unaware of the world around them, they tend to give automatic
reactions to stimulus as with the social smile, which occurs around the two-month mark; that Bowlby
attributes to the infant’s reflexive nature at this point. These first three months are called the pre-
attachment phase and are followed by a transitional phase known as attachment in the making. In this
second phase as babies become more aware and according to Piaget their “environment-focused
secondary circular reactions,” (Belsky, 2018, p. 107)
, PYC4805 Developmental Psychology Assignment 1 - Unique number: 549889
Andrea Hodgson Student number 4646-325-9
start to develop, babies begin to give their primary-caregiver a slight preference though are still happy
in the company of others. (Belsky, 2018, p. 107-108)
As babies get to the seven to eight-month point we see the emergence of both separation and stranger
anxiety. Separation anxiety being visual discomfort seen in a child when their primary caregiver leaves
and stranger anxiety the visual discomfort or agitation displayed when a stranger attempts to pick them
up or is present. These two milestones indicate the beginning of the focused or clear-cut attachment
phase. During this phase, separation anxiety and stranger anxiety intensify between one and two years
old and we see children and caregivers developing an attachment zone of comfort where a child can
separate from the caregiver up to a certain distance and still be comfortable with the assurance that
they are nearby. This distance is unspoken and according to studies is usually around 200ft for both the
child and the caregiver. We also see the development of social referencing where the child uses the
caregiver’s reactions to the environment and their own actions to decide if they are safe to continue or
if they are in some kind of trouble. This phase can be a difficult one and has no clear ending though
beings to taper around the age of three. (Belsky, 2018, p. 107-108)
Around the age of three it is believed that children have developed to a point where they are able to
carry an internal representation or what Bowlby calls a working model of their primary caregiver which
helps to lessen separation anxiety. (Belsky, 2018, p. 108)
How attachment milestones may influence the child’s first social relationships
Above we have seen how attachment develops and have made note of the milestone’s children go
through in forming their first social relationships. How these milestones display themselves or are
expressed may affect or influence the child’s first social relationships in both negative and positive ways.
There are different milestones during attachment as well as different types of attachment which may
influence social relationships both during infancy and as the child ages. The first responsive milestones
of an infant's life often trigger deeper attachment and connection for a parent or primary caregiver.
Some parents report feeling more endeared and connected to their babies after experiencing their first
smile which in turn elicits greater care responses from adults. Should babies fail to provide this, primary
caregivers may struggle to build connections and may lead to a different level of care. (Belsky, 2018, p.
107)
Andrea Hodgson Student number 4646-325-9
Assignment Question
“The quality of attachment during infancy lays the foundation for healthy development in a
variety of realms” (Belsky, 2018, p. 114).
Discuss the development of attachment during infancy and how it relates to the
competencies of the infant. Also indicate how attachment milestones may influence the
infant’s first social relationships.
Introduction
There have been many theories on attachment and just how necessary good quality attachment is for
the overall healthy development of the individual. We will look at the different stages of development
during infancy and how they may influence social relationships over the course of the life of an
individual. As we have seen from the textbook it is clear that across the board in humans, and even
some animals, good quality attachment is important for healthy development and may even be a
predictor of obstacles or difficulties later in life. In the following we will look at how attachment
develops and how the milestones involved may have some influence on initial social relationships.
(Belsky, 2018, p. 107)
Discussion
The development of attachment during infancy
Attachment emerges during what is considered the most vulnerable time in an individual’s life, infancy,
and solidifies as the child becomes a toddler. There are several milestones and phases during infancy
that arrive as attachment develops and as the child grows. During the first three months of life infants
are highly reflexive and mostly unaware of the world around them, they tend to give automatic
reactions to stimulus as with the social smile, which occurs around the two-month mark; that Bowlby
attributes to the infant’s reflexive nature at this point. These first three months are called the pre-
attachment phase and are followed by a transitional phase known as attachment in the making. In this
second phase as babies become more aware and according to Piaget their “environment-focused
secondary circular reactions,” (Belsky, 2018, p. 107)
, PYC4805 Developmental Psychology Assignment 1 - Unique number: 549889
Andrea Hodgson Student number 4646-325-9
start to develop, babies begin to give their primary-caregiver a slight preference though are still happy
in the company of others. (Belsky, 2018, p. 107-108)
As babies get to the seven to eight-month point we see the emergence of both separation and stranger
anxiety. Separation anxiety being visual discomfort seen in a child when their primary caregiver leaves
and stranger anxiety the visual discomfort or agitation displayed when a stranger attempts to pick them
up or is present. These two milestones indicate the beginning of the focused or clear-cut attachment
phase. During this phase, separation anxiety and stranger anxiety intensify between one and two years
old and we see children and caregivers developing an attachment zone of comfort where a child can
separate from the caregiver up to a certain distance and still be comfortable with the assurance that
they are nearby. This distance is unspoken and according to studies is usually around 200ft for both the
child and the caregiver. We also see the development of social referencing where the child uses the
caregiver’s reactions to the environment and their own actions to decide if they are safe to continue or
if they are in some kind of trouble. This phase can be a difficult one and has no clear ending though
beings to taper around the age of three. (Belsky, 2018, p. 107-108)
Around the age of three it is believed that children have developed to a point where they are able to
carry an internal representation or what Bowlby calls a working model of their primary caregiver which
helps to lessen separation anxiety. (Belsky, 2018, p. 108)
How attachment milestones may influence the child’s first social relationships
Above we have seen how attachment develops and have made note of the milestone’s children go
through in forming their first social relationships. How these milestones display themselves or are
expressed may affect or influence the child’s first social relationships in both negative and positive ways.
There are different milestones during attachment as well as different types of attachment which may
influence social relationships both during infancy and as the child ages. The first responsive milestones
of an infant's life often trigger deeper attachment and connection for a parent or primary caregiver.
Some parents report feeling more endeared and connected to their babies after experiencing their first
smile which in turn elicits greater care responses from adults. Should babies fail to provide this, primary
caregivers may struggle to build connections and may lead to a different level of care. (Belsky, 2018, p.
107)
