Attachment in humans is something each person develops during their childhood. By being close to their parents, being cared for, and interacted with, infants learn to be involved with other people. I think that the most fascinating thing about attachment is that it can be universally observed from every individual. No matter one’s background or family situation, children find security in those closest to them, and form relationships of varying severity. The almost unconscious nature of the process, the trust and security children come to find while being with others – I find it all to be especially intriguing. While adults make conscious effort to connect with others, children can do it almost unknowingly, which really shows the social nature of humans as a species.
Piaget has been very influential and effective on the topic of understanding childhood development. His research and writing helped to better conceptualize the differences that occur in child development, in particular, the variety of understanding and thought that usually occurs during specific ages. His legacy, as noted by Elkind, is rather significant and will not be understood for a long period of time. I think that the impact the man refers to comes from the way educators, medical professionals, researchers and care workers have come to view children, as well as their expected development levels (Bukatko and Daehler). The inherent differences in understanding occurring at various stages of life need to be properly taken into account and understood in order to discuss childhood development. Before Piaget’s work, the influence of the self on the environment around it was understated, as the gradation between different stages of growth was much less apparent.
Work Cited
Bukatko, Danuta, and Marvin W. Daehler. Child Development: A Thematic Approach. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.