Attachment as a Need for Protection and Safety

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Abstract

The work aims to clarify the concept of “attachment”. The article, based on materials from foreign sources, examines the development of the main provisions of attachment theory. Attachment is based on an evolutionary need for survival. Depending on the connection with security, the following types of attachment are distinguished: secure attachment, avoidant attachment, ambivalent attachment, and disorganized attachment. For a child, attachment is important for safety and survival. However, attachment style can undergo changes and adaptation to varying degrees in light of different life experiences. Attachment theory suggests that the way the bond develops between a child and their mother early in life will influence their sense of security and social, emotional, and mental development later in life. Research on this topic shows that the initial relationships formed at the very beginning of life give rise to the attachment style characteristic of a person in adulthood, which, as a rule, underlies the degree to which a person feels safe and emotionally secure in different relationships throughout their life. The quality of attachment helps shape a child's internal model of behavior regarding the social world, predicting how well children function in their relationships with teachers and friends, as well as their curiosity and motivation to solve problems. Conclusion: For humans, attachment is important for security and survival. At the same time, attachment style may undergo changes and adaptation to varying degrees in light of different life experiences.

General Information

Keywords: attachment, security, types of attachment, operational models of attachment, attachment disorders, psyche

Journal rubric: Problems of Psychological Safety in Age-Related Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/epps.2024010202

Received: 29.05.2024

Accepted:

For citation: Simonova M.M., Камнева E.V. Attachment as a Need for Protection and Safety [Elektronnyi resurs]. Ekstremal'naya psikhologiya i bezopasnost' lichnosti = Extreme Psychology and Personal Safety, 2024. Vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 22–33. DOI: 10.17759/epps.2024010202. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Margarita M. Simonova, PhD in Sociology, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Humanitarian Technologies and Social Engineering, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-6920, e-mail: m7230486@yandex.ru

Elena V. Камнева, PhD in Psychology, leading researcher at the Institute of Humanitarian Technologies and Social Engineering, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6165-1339, e-mail: petrov@yandex.ru

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