Proof of attachment theoryWhy do some babies cry the first time in kindergarten while others are completely at ease for the whole day? Is it the uncertainty of being in a new environment that makes some college students cry the moment their parents leave? Both of these situations can be clarified by examining attachment theory. Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships. Empirical evidence for the theory was provided by psychologist Harry Harlow and his student, developmental psychologist, Mary Ainsworth. Through various experiments and observation of newborns – human and non-human – they have determined that the most important factors in a child's attachment are maternal touch and sensitivity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ainsworth observed one-year-olds in a new environment with their mother, with their mother and a stranger, with just a stranger, and alone to see how the infant behaved in each scenario and how he or she reacted to being returned of the mother. She called it the strange situation. This is how Ainsworth came to the conclusion that maternal sensitivity influenced the child's attachment to his parents and how they will interact with new people. 70% of the children she observed fall into the secure attachment category, which means that the child "shows distress when the mother leaves", "avoids the stranger when alone" and is "happy when the mother returns ”. Fifteen percent of the children had an ambivalent attachment, meaning they showed “intense distress when the mother left,” “avoided and showed signs of fear of the stranger,” and “resisted contact when the mother returned.” Those babies cried more overall and explored less. The last type of attachment is avoidant attachment in which the child is indifferent when the mother leaves or returns and is as comfortable with the stranger as he is with the mother. Harlow observed something similar using rhesus monkeys. Harlow and his colleague Robert Zimmerman conducted an experiment with baby rhesus monkeys starting 6 to 12 hours after birth and lasting several months. They created two environments. For four monkeys there was a surrogate mother covered in soft cloth who breastfed and a wire mesh mother who did not. For the other four monkeys, the wire-mesh mother breastfed while the cloth-covered mother did not. Harlow was wrong when he assumed that baby monkeys would become more attached to the mother who provided the food. In both environments, the monkeys spent more time with their cloth mother, only approaching the wire mother when they were hungry. This demonstrated the importance of touch. When placed alone in an unfamiliar environment, the baby monkeys showed signs of anxiety, crouching, crying and rocking, but when the cloth mother was placed in the room, they immediately clung to her. This is similar to Ainsworth's description of secure attachment, in which baby monkeys use their cloth mother as a secure base. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The first attachment a child forms is with the person who takes care of him or her and is an impression that lasts a lifetime. A strong maternal bond is important because it allows humans to form long-lasting and successful relationships for the rest of their lives. Strong bonds also provide stability for future endeavors, such as moving away from home or embarking on a new path.