280 Unit 3 Infancy Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 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 people 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 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 to show Figure 10.5 Development of Focused Attachment Behaviors Approximate Age Focused Attachment Behaviors 1 month • Baby recognizes familiar and unfamiliar voices. • Baby 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