Types of Attachments in Toddlers (Essay Sample)

Observation Assignment
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Observation Assignment
Part One: Types of Attachments in Toddlers
According to Berk (2014), the first type of toddler attachment is the secure attachment. With secure attachment, the toddler will freely explore while the parent or the caregiver is around. The toddler will typically engage with the people around him or her including the strangers. The toddler will apparently become too sad when the parent or the caregiver leaves show a lot of happiness when they return. Usually, the distress and consequent exploration of the kid significantly depends on the attachment status, situational factors, as well as the temperamental makeup of the toddler. However, the attachment is also greatly influenced by the sensitivity of their primary caregiver to their needs.
From the MyLabs video, some of the behaviors that the toddler exhibit to be identified as having a secure attachment includes being upset when the caregiver leaves, showing happiness when the caregiver returns, and being content when the caregiver fulfills their needs appropriately and in time (Eugenia, 2015).
The next attachment is called avoidant attachment. When the caregiver is around, the toddler will show very little or lack of interest in the playful interaction. The toddler will opt to play with objects and not people and will show distant emotions from her or his caregiver. When the parent leaves, the child will remain calm without any sign of indifference. When the caregiver returns, may avoid contact and ignore the parent.
The third attachment is called ambivalent attachment. When the parent is around, the child becomes very uncomfortable, insecure and rejects the proximity and comfort of the parent angrily. However, the child will violently protest when the mother leaves and will not regain calmness when the mother returns. The toddler cannot be easily comforted by the stranger.
Lastly, there is disorganized attachment where there is no any attachment strategy that is consistent. As such, there is no any way that is real for the toddler to cope with the given situations (Atkinson, 2013). Some babies may seem depressed when the caregiver returns, others will be glad while others will be disturbed.
Part Two: Observing children and their parents at the playground
The secure attachment at the playground was evident. When the mother was around, the child was freely exploring. The child could be seen shaking hands and laughing with the strangers. However, the child could become very upset each time the parent left. When the mother went into the washrooms, the child cried and wanted to follow her. However, when the mother returned, the child felt euphoric and he ran towards her feeling jubilant. The child also felt triumphal and secure when he fell and the mother rushed to lift him up.
The other attachment pattern observed at the playground was the avoidant attachment pattern. Another child was on the playground with her parent, but she did not use the parent as a secure base. When the father left for what seemed like a short call, the child thought of following him but she did not follow him. The child continued playing and did not show any signs of noticing the father when he returned. The father seemed to be completely emotionally unresponsive, imperceptive and unavailable. The child also showed the behaviors of random aggression and seemed more clingy and demanding on the dad regarding some things.
 
References
Atkinson, L. (2013). Attachment and psychopathology. New York: Guilford Press.
Berk, L. (2014). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (Sixth ed.). Pearson.
Eugenia, F. (2015). MyLabsPlus. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
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