I think attachment can be affected by if a baby or toddler has older siblings and he/she sees how they are attached to the parents. If a young child sees that his or her older brother or sister is securely attached then he or she is likely to become attached to the parents as well.
I agree with the general that the child may develop the same form of attachment as his older siblings through observation. Certainly if the child is highly emotionally intelligent and is able to observe the behavior and emulate it. However, having older brothers, I know that a child's level of attachment and well-being can readily be affected by other factors that have to do with siblings. For example, if the caregivers favor the other siblings more and neglect the other child, then he/she may not develop a strong internal working model. Also, if the siblings readily tease/hurt the younger sibling, he is most likely to be less willing to relate and empathize with his siblings. However, given that male siblings typically connect through teasing/roughhousing, that may actually result in a secure form of attachment because the youngest sibling may feel closer to his brothers that way.
-- Edited by 102intro on Wednesday 8th of April 2009 03:12:14 AM
Yes, I agree as well that having an older sibling will likely influence the internal working model. But this is only true if the sibling has a gratifying relationship with the parent. Because then, the child would want to imitate the older sibling and form a secure attachment for that same relationship.
