280 Unit 3 Infancy
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
to show closeness to that person. Attachment
behaviors change from birth through the school-age
years. Attachment is developmental, which means
attachment behaviors often occur in a set order. The
attachment behavior in infancy is called focused
attachment (Figure 10.5).
Attachment is closely related to positive inter-
actions with parents and with future health and
well-being. Attachment is positive in the following
ways:
• Everyone needs to love and to be loved.
For healthy social-emotional development,
attachment is critical. Establishing healthy
attachments helps babies feel loved.
• Attachment helps intellectual development.
Attached infants tend to explore their world
through play more than infants who are
not attached to others.
• Healthy brain development depends on
attachment. Overcoming stress throughout
life is easier for infants who formed strong
attachments early in infancy. For example,
through attachment, the toddler and
young preschooler learn to deal with the
fear of strangers and the fear of being left
alone in the care of other adults.
type of attachment between parents and their
children. Bonding begins at birth and continues
throughout infancy. Bonding happens through
closeness, feeding times, bathing, and playtime.
This connection lays the foundation for forming
an attachment (Figure 10.4).
Babies are motivated to form attachments.
They need a parent’s love and care to survive and
desire to feel secure. Thus, babies develop an
attachment to those who care for them. They show
this attachment through attachment behaviors, or
actions one person demonstrates to another person
Figure 10.5
Development of Focused Attachment Behaviors
Approximate Age Focused Attachment Behaviors
1 month • Newborn recognizes familiar and unfamiliar voices.
• Newborn turns toward familiar voices.
2 weeks to 2 months • Baby smiles.
3 months • Infant responds by giving joyful sounds (coos and gurgles) and movements (kicks).
• Infant may laugh.
4 to 6 months • Infant engages in more turn-taking games, such as peekaboo.
• Infant begins to show a preference for familiar people.
• Infant becomes still and breathing becomes shallow when unknown people
are close.
7 to 12 months • Infant shows a strong preference for primary caregivers.
• Infant cries when a stranger is nearby—fear of strangers.
• Infant cries when left alone in an effort to bring a caregiver back into his or her
presence. (Object permanence allows infant to know caregiver exists even when
not present.)
Figure 10.4
Bonding and Attachment
Relationship Term Used
Parents come to love their babies
soon after birth.
Parents → Baby
Bonding
Babies whose needs are met come
to love their parents. Infants realize
this tie after six months of age.
Baby → Parents
Attachment