Q.Attachment bonds formed in childhood years have long-term effects. Explain taking examples from daily life.

The quality of the attachment bond formed in infancy — secure or insecure — sets up a lasting template of trust or mistrust that shapes how confidently a person later explores new situations, forms relationships, and copes with separation. …

Attachment is the close emotional bond of affection that forms between an infant and their parents or primary caregivers. Its formation, and its long-term consequences, are illustrated clearly by both classic research and everyday examples.

Harlow and Harlow's (1962) study with baby monkeys — separated from their mothers about 8 hours after birth and reared for six months by two surrogate 'mothers,' one of bare wire and one of soft cloth — found that regardless of which surrogate actually fed them, the baby monkeys consistently preferred and spent far more time with the cloth mother. This showed that feeding alone does not create attachment; contact comfort is the crucial ingredient. A parallel, everyday human example is a young child's attachment to a favourite blanket or soft toy: the child clearly knows the object is not their mother, yet it still provides genuine comfort — an attachment children typically abandon naturally as they grow more self-assured, again showing that the comfort value of the bond matters more than any 'practical' function.

According to Erik Erikson (1968), the first year of life is the key period for developing attachment, corresponding to the psychosocial stage of trust versus mistrust. A sense of trust is built on physical comfort and consistent, responsive caregiving, which creates in the infant a basic expectation that the world is a safe and reliable place. Parents who are sensitive, affectionate, and accepting give their infant a strong base from which to confidently explore the environment, fostering secure attachment; such infants respond positively when picked up, move about freely, and play with confidence. In contrast, parents who are insensitive or who show dissatisfaction and find fault with the child can create feelings of self-doubt, and their infants are more likely to show insecure attachment — becoming anxious when separated, and getting upset out of fear. …