Open AccessThe relationship between attachment and cognitive development
Author(s) -
Milica Tosic,
Aleksandar Baucal,
Tatjana Stefanović-Stanojević
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
zbornik instituta za pedagoška istraživanja/zbornik - institut za pedagoška istraživanja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1820-9270
pISSN - 0579-6431
DOI - 10.2298/zipi1301042t
Subject(s) - psychology , feeling , cognition , attachment theory , personality , developmental psychology , style (visual arts) , cognitive development , emotional development , focus (optics) , early childhood , quality (philosophy) , social psychology , cognitive psychology , social change , philosophy , physics , archaeology , epistemology , neuroscience , optics , economics , history , economic growth
Emotional and cognitive development of personality have mostly been explored independently in the history of psychology. However, in the last decades, there have been more and more frequent arguments in favour of the idea that the emotional relationship between the mother and the child in early childhood, through forming a secure or insecure attachment style, is to a certain extent linked to the cognitive development. For example, securely attached children, compared to the insecurely attached, have more frequent and longer episodes of symbolic play and are more advanced in the domain of language in early childhood. Securely attached children are also more efficient and persistent in solving problems. Before starting school, securely attached children understand better the feelings and beliefs of others, as well as the fact that these determine people’s behaviour, thus having an opportunity to understand and predict this behaviour better. In this paper, we will attempt to point out some of the mechanisms that are assumed to be mediators between the emotional and cognitive development. Namely, since it enables a more independent exploration of the surroundings, more quality social relations among children, higher self-esteem, better focus and more developed communicative skills, secure attachment might potentially be linked to the cognitive development. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179002