I can really understand the argument proposed in the text book, and the correlations seem to be very impressive. A secure attachment will essentially lead to positive outcomes, in terms of creating and maintaining friends and even being a leader in a social environment. However, I think that the environment can have a significant impact the development of a person regardless of their secure attachment. For example, something that they are not prepared for occurs, for example a death in the family, or rape or an injury. However, if the environment is essentially neutral then the secure attachment can stay with the individual and will have a positive impact on them over the course of their life.
I do agree to some extent with what you are saying. However, i do not believe in what you say about a neutral environment. A neutral environment could also be harmful if a child stays securely attached for too long. They may not be able to make any stable relationships other than those that the child has made with the help of his mother. The secure attachment may end up developing into either anxious/avoidant, anxious/resistant, or disorganized, which would not be very healthy for the child.
-- Edited by wordplay on Tuesday 3rd of November 2009 06:24:33 PM
by a neutral environment, it could also mean that the kid won't ever make really amazing friends but won't make any enemies either. he would probably remain the closest to his family. that being said, "secure" doesn't necessarily mean "positive". Doesn't there seem to be a trend in where growth out of an insecure initial attachment leads to stronger ties with those who they overcome barriers with?
I agree that secure attachment would ideally lead to a healthy well being. However, i don't think they need extremes in the environment to change the outcome. I think different environments cause different things, not necessarily a death, or rape. If everyone with secure attachment had healthy well-beings wouldn't everyone essentially with that attachment be the same? I think that the way each person is brought up in different surroundings leads to different outcomes.
