Attachment

What Is Attachment?

Attachment is a psychological bond between adult and child. It is believed that secure bonding leads to psychological well-being and resistance to life’s stresses. This is a topic researched by Harry Harlow.

According to Solomon (2013), “Attachment…refers to the developing connection between a baby and the significant other who cares for him— most often his mother or father. The nature of the attachment relationship is largely formed by the sensitive responsiveness of the parent to the baby and the overall quality of the baby-parent interactions. In secure attachment, the parent helps the baby learn to self-soothe and also encourages and takes pleasure in the baby’s independent exploration. Learning when to hold close and when to let go is a skill that parents are called on to employ throughout their child’s life”.¹

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