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Effects of Negative Life Experiences on Individuals

Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 18, 2007

Effects of Negative Life Experiences on Individuals


This is a review of literature that covers five studies on attachment. In each study it was concluded that negative life experiences could affect an individual and possibly change the attachment style they have with their parents from infancy. The four different attachment styles are Secure, Insecure-Avoidant, Insecure-Resistant, and Insecure-Disorganized. From the studies presented it was shown that each attachment style a child had with their parents could change due to negative life experiences.

While studies of the development of attachment among children have been helpful in understanding the young minds of children, ages varying from one to seven. There are also studies of how certain kinds of attachment can affect you later in life especially if a negative life experience occurs. This paper will primarily discuss the effects of negative life experiences and how that affects an individual. Published data will be presented in this paper to show how a negative life experience can change an attachment style over a period of time (Infancy to adulthood). First, each attachment will be defined, attachment style will be discussed, and information about attachment will also be included.

Attachment can be defined as an emotional bond between a child and their caregiver that developed over time, it is the most important form of social development that occurs during infancy. The attachment is expressed in behaviors such as approaching, following, clinging, and signaling (smiling, crying, and calling). It is believed that attachment evolves in the first year of life. Studies of attachment development, using the Strange Situation, were administered to infants and their mothers primarily after birth. The Strange Situation is a procedure between the mother and the child where the mother leaves her child in a room by him/herself. Depending on the child’s reaction to this they are characterized under one of the attachment styles. There are four kinds of attachments; the child is either characterized as Secure, Insecure-avoidant, Insecure-resistant, or Insecure-disorganized depending on how they react during the strange situation.

When the mother left in the Ainsworth Strange Situation it was found that children with secure attachments were able to explore the area around their environment while the mother was gone from the room. The infant showed no sign of distress when she left or upon return.

Secure children also...

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Uploaded by:   sls465

Date:   04/18/2007

Category:   Psychology

Length:   15 pages (3,357 words)

Views:   5471

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