Two theories that discuss the importance of how an infant bonds with caregivers include John Bowlby's psychoanalytic attachment theory and Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. Both Bowlby and Erikson believe that trust is very important in the psychological development of an infant. Bowlby believes that the quality of early infant attachments to primary caregivers and the ability to trust is crucial in developing relationships later in life. Erik Erikson believes that infants need to receive care that is consistent, dependable, and reliable from the primary caregiver in order to have trusting and secure relationships later on in life.
Even though Bowbly and Erikson have the trust component and a connection to Freud, their theories are different. Attachment is described as an emotional relationship that is unique and involves the elements of pleasure, comfort and care. Bowlby states that attachment is a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings." Bowbly also believes that attachment has a connection to survival. "The propensity to make strong emotional bond to particular individuals [is] a basic component of human nature"(Bowlby, 1988,3). There are three important components to the attachment theory: children that are raised knowing that their primary caregivers are always available have less fear, the confidence that the children develop during infancy, childhood and adolescence is somewhat unchanged for the entirety of a person's life and children expect the primary caregiver to be responsive because they have in the past. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development focuses on the ego and the stages of development from infancy(0 to 1 1/2) to maturity(65+). Erikson developed the eight psychosocial stages of which the first stage trust vs. mistrust is where an infant learns to trust the primary caregiver to meet basic needs and this helps the infant feel secure even in times of uncertainty. If this stage is successful the virtue of hope is established which means the infant will be able to trust that others will help in time of crisis. Erikson states that if the virtue of hope is not established then an infant will have a fear and start to mistrust and this will effect the development of the other seven psychosocial stages which are autonomy vs. shame,doubt (1 1/2 to 3), initiative vs. guilt(3 to 5), industry vs. inferiority(5 to 12), identity vs. identity confusion(12 to 18), intimacy vs. isolation(18 to 40), generativity vs. self-absorption(40 to 65) and integrity vs. despair,disgust(65+).
These two theories are important because it gives the learner two similar and yet different ways of approaching the reasons why infants as well as humans can not bond or attach to other humans. It is essential for this process to start while an infant in order to be healthy children, adolescents and adults.
References
Ashford, J.B. & LeCroy, C.W. (2013).Human behavior in the social environment: A multidemsional perspective.(pg.99),(5th ed.).Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby,J.(1969/1982). Attachment and Loss, Vol 1: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
McLeod, S.A.(2008). Erik Erikson I Psychosocial Stages - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erkison.html
When put together as you've done here Penny, one can realistically grasp how important having ALL these necessary factors function properly truly is to bringing a child into this world. Even from conception and most critically from birth throughout infancy & into mid-childhood requires what may be stated in a few sentences but takes many people including parents sometimes, half a lifetime to come to acknowledge, comprehend, respect and then exert these viable components. Though it is upsetting to think about, there are thousands of people who presently exist in the world and have had to learn to reshape the way they live completely around their own dysfunctionals- such as personality traits or similar behaviors unaccepted in a society's norm. What is most disturbing about that fact visible almost anywhere you go nowdays is the truth for the whys, how and whats (or lack thereof) has caused a person to be unhealthy in any one of the systems we emphasize on in the social work field. I feel like in instances that can be referenced to or are a result from nonexistance in any of these vital factors you've broken down and defined in your blog shouldn't arise as an issue but nonetheless it IS as discovered probably on a daily basis in the field of social work.
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