Final answer:
The correct answer to what the emotional bond that forms between a babe and their caregiver is known as 'attachment'. Attachment is crucial for an infant's social and emotional development, involving feelings of trust and security that have a lasting impact throughout life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The emotional bond that forms between a babe and their caregiver is known as attachment. This concept was developed by British psychologist John Bowlby, who emphasized the importance of a primary caregiver in an infant's normal social and emotional development. He described this connection as an affectional bond that not only provides a sense of safety as the child explores their surroundings but also ensues in mutually enjoyable interactions between the child and the caregiver. Mary Ainsworth further studied this concept through the Strange Situation procedure, helping to identify various types of attachments such as secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganized.
Attachment forms as infants interact with their caregivers and develop trust when their needs are met, which in turn influences their psychosocial development. Eric Erikson also highlighted that trust is the foundational element for development during the infancy stage. Attachment affects individuals throughout their lives, influencing relationships and even extending to religious beliefs or non-human attachments, demonstrating our inherent social nature.
Thus, the correct answer to the question is c) Attachment.