The effects of early attachment experiences and Neuropsychological

development factors on interpersonal relationships

By Dr Nader Korhani Ph.D

Department of Educational Psychology

Shiraz University

As human beings we have a powerful and fundamental need to create and

maintain strong and stable interpersonal relationships and social bonds. This pursuit is

not only associated with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns but also greatly

affects our psychological and physiological health and well-being. In most instances,

human beings, regardless of material or practical advantages and considerations resist

ending relationships and dissolution of social bonds and deficit in social attachments

can cause several health impairments both psychological and physical. These could

include maladaptive and behavioral pathology which may manifest itself as attempts

to escape loneliness and maintain social attachments and avoiding loss of social bonds,

and may possibly lead to psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety,

and other mental health issues and health problems. These ideas are not new but now

there are strong empirical evidence that supports the accuracy of such ideas and

related hypotheses.

Several decades ago, Bowlby had theorized that during infancy and early

childhood, as human beings, we develop a process of proximity seeking pattern to our

primary caregiver for the purpose of survival and need for a sense of security. The

experience of one’s interaction’s and attachment behaviors with primary caregiver

and their responses to these needs during infancy and early childhood, become the

basis for one’s behaviors, expectations, thoughts, and feelings for one’s experiences
of intimacy and interpersonal relationships throughout the lifespan. Furthermore,

these early attachment experiences with the caregiver will have influences in

personality functioning and relationship experiences later in life during adulthood and

may explain various forms of emotional distress and personality disturbances such as

anger, anxiety, emotional detachment, jealousy, and depression in one’s interpersonal

relationships and interactions with the significant others in different stages of

development. Furthermore, the attachment needs in adult relationships (romantic,

family, peers, and friends) tend to be based on the same factors that define the

attachment needs between the children and their caregiver, the qualities such as

availability and attentiveness that are fundamental in a healthy romantic relationship

in adulthood are similar to the same factors that are part of a healthy attachment

between infants and their caregivers and have the same influence in relational and

personal experience as they do in childhood ( Ainsworth, 1978; Ainsworth, 1991;

Bowlby 1959; Bowlby, 1962; Bowlby, 1988).

A comparative exploration and analysis of studies and articles on

neurophysiological development and attachment based affective shaping during early

childhood, clearly shows the way disruptions in healthy attachment experiences are

mirrored by interruption and impairment in healthy brain and nervous system

development and functioning. (Perry, 1994; Vermetten & Bremner, 2012; Bowlby,

1988; Loman & Gunnar, 2010; etc.). These studies suggest that same brain regions

and neural pathways that are impacted by early childhood trauma and attachment

experiences that are also implicated in abnormal brain and neural structure and

functioning that causes difficulties in cognitive emotional regulation in adults.

In one of such studies, Van der Kolk (2003) described traumatized children as

having a survivalist orientation both behaviorally and on neurobiological level to their

external reality, as they view the world as a dangerous place and responding

accordingly. the inter-relatedness of early childhood brain development, attachment

experiences, and neurophysiological processes including the role of early childhood

stress, trauma, and somatosensory feedback loop in regulating physical health are all

dynamics that takes place in terms of mind-body communication at various stages of

these processes.

The current scientific understanding on physiology of attachment also show

that the early experience of attachment plays a critical role in balancing the

production of stress hormone such as cortisol. The experience of a secure attachment

between the caregiver and the child during the early years of development, results in a

better regulated and balanced stress hormone response when encountering stressful

situations throughout their lives; which otherwise such as in disorganized or insecure

early attachment experience, could lead to chronically elevated levels of stress

hormones causing the over activation and over reaction of the neurobiological system

in challenging or threatening situations. Cumulative effects of increased frequencies

of elevated cortisol level can also alter the development of brain circuitry and nervous

system in a way that negatively influences the child’s capability to cope and respond

effectively to stressful situations (e.g. Perry, 1994; McEvan, 2008).

These ripple effects of such early care experiences continue to influence

personality development, emotional management, ability to acquire and practice

effective patterns of mental and physical health management skills and behaviors; and

achieve healthy relationships and social skills in the future (Bowlby, 1959; Bowlby,

1988). Thus, the presence of an attentive, responsive, and nurturing care provider can

create a great cushion for a child against harmful stress hormone elevations even
when the children may be temperamentally shy or fearful and therefore, more

vulnerable to stress hormones exposure (Nachmias & et al., 1996).

When it comes to mind-body communication, the transmission of the physical

sensory information and other sensory feedbacks is processed and moderated by

several attachment based neurophysiological influences. Schore (2000) explained that

the right hemisphere processes and stores attachment relationship experiences in

implicit-procedural memory system in the right cortex. The right hemisphere also

facilitates dyadic regulatory affective communication, empathic cognition, and the

awareness of the emotional states of others based on appraisals of visual facial stimuli

in processing social emotional information. The face to face context of affect

synchrony that takes place between the infant and the mother contributing to the

emotional attunement was considered by Schore to be the central influence in

formation of positive social and cognitive experiences for the infant. The incoming

information about the social environment in turn elicits modifications in emotional

and motivational states through transmitting sensory information into the limbic

system. Schore suggested that understanding of the developmental neurobiological

model needs to be utilized, both in terms of providing effective early intervention to

support neurobiological adaptive stress response system and as part of psychiatric and

mental health treatment (Schore, 2000)

Awareness and implementation of psychoeducational programs that considers the

scientific understanding of the way impacts of early life exposure to trauma and

cumulative stress may shape how young children process and cope with later stress,

the way their brain and neurophysiological development is affected by such

experiences, as well as how they may experience a wide range of mental health

impairment. Thus, this information can be incorporated into strengthening the

supports and resources available to parents who themselves may be experiencing

various level of challenges in raising their children. This could be implemented

through community based programs and publicly funded programs as well as outreach

programs that may create a support network in schools and other educational and

health services based institutions and other venues to expand such awareness more

extensively. All professionals who interact with children on a daily basis are best

positioned to learn from and use science-based strategies that prevent and address the

impacts of early childhood trauma and excessive stress early in life.

If specialists, clinicians, and consultants in the field of human mental health are to

continuously maintain or expand the quality of their practice, they are required to

update and improve upon their awareness and understanding of the underlying

mechanisms involved in the formation and development of human mind and behavior.

Thus, bringing forth an integrative perspective that focuses on interrelatedness of

different aspects of such processes including psychological, social, and

neurophysiological influences can help in providing a more accurate model of these

developments. The consideration and incorporation of such knowledge and

understanding of neurobiological effects of early childhood trauma on developing

brain as part of diagnostic and treatment spectrum can serve as an important

ingredient in producing more effective interventions and creating optimal results with

clients in course of treatment conducted by the mental health practitioners.