Man is a social being. The basis of social communication, i.e. interpersonal communication, is greatly influenced by the attachment styles of individuals and their experiences in infancy and early childhood. Attachment is a vital component of emotional and social development in the early years. It is a strong bond between the primary caregiver and the infant that develops especially in the second 6 months of life and establishes a sense of trust in the infant. Mother-infant attachment forms the starting point of social relationships and plays a key role for future relationships. For this reason, attachment characteristics in infants and the factors affecting these characteristics have attracted the attention of many researchers. The most well-known of these are Bowlby, who first used the concept of "attachment" in 1958, and Ainsworth, who defined attachment styles.
According to Bowlby's attachment theory, infants are born with a biological predisposition to develop an attachment relationship. They expect trust, care, support and protection from the few caregivers they choose. Attachment behavior begins as a result of "seeking closeness" when under stress. Selective (focused) attachment occurs after the 7th month. In this period of selective attachment, the baby reacts to separation from the caregiver (anxiety symptoms) and stranger anxiety begins. According to attachment theory, attachment behavior develops in parallel with other biological systems. The most important of these is the "exploration system". There is a balance between attachment and exploration systems. The caregiver offers a safe harbor, the infant explores, investigates, and returns to the caregiver in times of stress.
When considered periodically,
0-2 months: The baby's behaviors such as searching for the breast, turning the head, sucking, swallowing, grabbing, turning towards the mother, sensing feeding times and getting ready are "attachment precursors".
2-6 months: The baby starts to turn towards the caregiver. Social reactions increase. The baby starts smiling at the caregiver, making prolonged eye contact and making sounds. This period is the "formation stage of attachment". The baby has not yet chosen an attachment figure, but recognizes and reacts to its parents.
By the 7th month Together, babies choose the person they will be attached to and begin to limit their very large social circle. This is the period when stranger anxiety begins. Attachment becomes clear in the 7th-24th months. The baby now directs its attention to the person who meets all its needs. This person is called the "primary caregiver". The relationship between the baby and the primary caregiver is different from the baby's relationship with other people.
If the person who is primarily responsible for the baby's care is sensitive to the baby's reactions and wishes, tries to understand what the baby wants to express, knows how to listen to the baby, and provides adequate and appropriate stimuli verbally, emotionally and physically, a healthy attachment develops between the baby and the caregiver. Babies who can develop healthy attachment develop a basic sense of trust. They have learned through positive experiences that their caregiver will always be there for them and will soothe them in case of stress. These babies can explore the environment, maintain closeness, and use the caregiver as a "reassurance base" even when the primary attachment object is not present. Reacts to the departure of the parent. Protest behavior is replaced by relaxation and exploratory behaviors with the return of the parent.