Human Development psy 1170

1. Human Development
Lethbridge College
By: Kaven Kasheep

2. What is my favorite part of Developmental
Psychology?
My favorite topic would have to be the
different attachment behaviors and
relationships that coincide with it. It’s
interesting to know that having
relationships at such a young age is so
important in your life and how it could
potentially affect your relationships in
later life.

3. Attachment
- Attachment is the relationship
between the child and it’s
caregiver.
- Starts occurring in the first six
months with pre-attachment
- It is important for a child to
have at least one primary
relationship with a caregiver for
a successful development.

4. Secure Attachment
- An attachment where a child
will readily separate from the
caregiver, seeks proximity, and
uses the caregiver as a safe
base for exploration.
- The child feels protected with
the caregiver and knows that
they can depend on them.

5. Secure Attachment Continued
- The caregiver was able to meet
the needs of the child which
creates a sense of trust in their
lives.
- This type of attachment lays
the foundation for healthy
relationships as you get older.

6. Avoidant Attachment
- An Insecure attachment in
which the child avoids contact
with the parent and shows no
preference over the caregiver or
someone else.
- This happens when the
caregiver seems emotionally
unavailable, rejecting and
unresponsive.

7. Avoidant Attachment Continued
- This leaves the child to become
independent and contain their
feelings.
- This attachment could lead to
shyness as a child and then as
they get older they start to
avoid people and situations.

8. Ambivalent Attachment
- An attachment where the child
shows little exploratory
behaviour and gets greatly
upset when the caregiver leaves
and is not reassured until they
return.
- These children are the most
clingy, anxious and demanding
at home, and suspicious.

9. Ambivalent Attachment Continued
- The caregivers were
consistently unavailable for the
child when needed and after the
fact they would try and make up
for it and be overindulgent.
Leading to the confusion of the
child and unsure of the
treatment to expect.

10. Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment
- An Attachment in which a child
seems confused or
apprehensive and shows
contradictory behaviour, like
moving toward the caregiver
while looking away from
her/him.
- Caregiver ignores child’s needs
and parental behaviour is
frightening or traumatizing.

11. Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment
Continued
- The homes of these children
often have been exposed to
abuse.
- This type of attachment can be
passed from generation from
generation. This can happen if
the parent was abused and all
they knew how to act was in
the way they were treated.

12. How is this content related to me personally?
- This content is related to me personally because growing up in a
Foster family I have seen attachment disorders expressed in a
number of individuals.
- Living with them has provided me with a exceptionally acute
empathy for people with Attachment Disorders.

13. How this content will be of use to you in your
professional life.
- After seeing all the different kids go through my home I wanted to
become a Social Worker because I love kids and I want to make a
difference in their lives.
- This content will be of use to me because it can help me understand
how these different types of behaviors happen and how I could
possibly be of help.

14. References
http://www.essentialparenting.com/2010/05/22/the-forms-of-attachment/
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/attachment-and-adult-
relationships.htm
http://www.healthline.com/health/avoidant-personality-disorder#RiskFactors3