I feel that a significant factor in attachment between a parent and a child is the marriage situation of the parents. For example, a single mother or father will most likely have a different attachment level than that between two parents and a child. The level of attention given by two secure parents living together is significantly different than that between two divorced parents or one single parents. While this is definitely not always the case, I think that as a small infant, it would be very confusing to be switched from house to house throughout growing up, and may create a sense of an unstable living environment. The constant absence of one of the two major persons in their life can lead to the lack of a secure attachment, as one parent is always gone.
It seems like age of divorce would also affect attachment. In the book, most of the benefits of being securely attached depended on attachment as an infant. Most people I know had parents that divorced after the infant phase, so it may not affect their attachment. You could look at this by measuring the strength of relationships in teens and adults whose parents separated at different ages.
I agree with 481, i think that the age of the child is important in this issue. I agree that having divorced parents may be confusing for a small child. But we eventually come to an age where the individual may see divorce as ok and maybe even for the best. I had a friend who had secure attachment with her parents, but as she got older, she could see how being together made her parents miserable. So when the issue of divorce came up, she was accepting of it.
I also agree. I feel as though a happy marriage is ideal for a securely attached child because the proper amount of attention and care is given to the child as compared to a divorced couple who fight and worry about their family falling apart rather than focusing on the child.
-- Edited by 102intro on Thursday 9th of April 2009 03:13:26 PM
