Attachment Theory: A Case Study

This essay will compare and contrast the work of psychologists Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth. To compare and contrast will be to emphasise the similarities and differences of both Harlow and Ainsworth’s work on understanding attachment, to which they have both made great contribution. Attachment refers to the mutually affectionate developing bond between a mother and any other caregiver (Custance 2010). It is a bond in which the infant sees the caregiver as a protective and security figure. Failing to form any type of attachment during the earliest years of childhood is thought to lead to social and emotional developmental issues that can carry on well into adult life (Custance 2010). Attachment theory was formulated by psychoanalyst

“All children, at the core of their beings, need to be attached to someone who considers them to be very special and who is committed to providing for their ongoing care.” In this very first sentence Daniel Hughes expresses the importance of attachment in children in order for them to live rich and fulfilling lives. He outlines the issues surrounding the poorly attached child (particularly foster and adopted children) and shows how it is possible, using specific therapeutic interventions, to help them to “heal and grow”.

Attachment Theory for Childcare Providers: An Annotated Bibliography Mardell, B. (1992). A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Implications of Attachment Theory for Daycare Professionals. Child Study Journal, 22(3), 121-128. Retrieved from https://www.esc.edu/library/

“Attachment is the ability to form emotional bonds with other people”, it is unambiguous that Precious did not have that kind of emotional bond with her family (E.D. Hutchison, 2012. 441) John Bowlby who is considered the father of attachment theory. Attachment theory is a concerted work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. This theory focus on early childhood experiences and how well cared and in our world, may influence on how the child behaves from childhood to adult. The assumption of this theoretically perspective, focus on the relationship between the caregiver and the child and how it can affect the child’s behaviors and

In 1958, the Attachment theory came into existence. It was developed by John Bowlby on the notion that the quality of the parent -child relationship was essential for development and mental health (Howe, 2011, pg, 7). This thinking was in the context of distress shown by children when separated from their parents or when in unfamiliar surroundings. While having credit for the emergence of the attachment theory, Bowlby subsequently carried out a lot of research work with Mary Ainsworth concluding that children view their attachment figures as both a ?safe haven? to return to for comfort and protection and also a ?secure base? from which to explore their environment. The birth of children gives rise to the need to feel loved and wanted by caregivers, (Maclean and Harrison,2015 pg, 103), the absence of which might result in a range of behaviors to either

Attachment is a carefully constructed bond which is built on trust, love, and compassion between two or more people. The attachment theory in psychology arose due to the work of John Bowlby. In the early 20th century during the 1930’s, Bowlby was a psychiatrist at the Child Guidance Clinic in London, England in which he treated emotionally disturbed children from a variety of different experiences. His experience in the hospital in London caused him to view a child’s relationship with his mother in terms of development in emotion abilities, social abilities, and cognitive abilities. This led to the creation and theorization of the attachment theory of the bond between a mother and her child.

The Attachment theory is based on the concept of an “attachment behavioral system” which is a homeostatic process that manages an infant’s proximity of “seeking and contact maintaining behaviors with specific individuals to provide physical or psychological safety and security” (Berman & Sperling, 1994, p.5, as cited in Berghaus, 2011 ). John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory states that the “foundation stone” for a child’s personality, the one that is crucial to their development, is the “emotional connection between the child and their primary caregiver”. Mary Ainsworth’s Attachment Theory (1913–1999) is the other key figure in the foundation of attachment theory (cited by Berghaus, 2011). Ainsworth’s Uganda study is considered as the first developmental study that viewed the infant–mother attachment from an evolutionary perspective which pre-dated Bowlby’s presentation of his formal account of attachment theory to the British Psychoanalytic Society by four years (Bretherton, 2003).

The attachment theory was created by Mary Ainsworth, an American-Canadian developmental psychologist. Ainsworth built off the initial works of psychiatrist John Bowlby, who observed deserted children and how they would grow and face the world. Ainsworth conducted an experiment to observe early emotional attachment between a child and their caregiver. Ainsworth wanted to set up a “base” for the children and observe the different kinds of attachment that the children would develop. Through these studies different types of attachments were discovered such as secure and insecure attachments.

The overall aim of this piece of work, is to describe and evaluate attachment theory and its value, it can have in the social work profession .One way I will do this is by finding a socially accepted definition of attachment theory and the academic 's who have defined the process and its effect within social work. Firstly we need to know what exactly what attachment theory actually is. I belief this can be described as being a set of theories derived from academic 's who feel attachment has a psychological normality for searching an individuals closeness to another person in there life, and there effect to promote security when that person is with them and the anxiety when they have gone. There are many theorist 's in the field of attachment and it is my intention to focus on three such Theorist’s, John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth to whom both have worked closely in this area and are recognised in some forums and being the “guru 's in the field of attachment, and David Howe, Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. Having a knowledge base of these theories as a social worker will enable and empower us when making decisions and the way in which we present ourselves,” Looking at both sides of the coin” and when and when not to intervene when assessing the need of the child and adult.

In relation to Freud and Erikson’s theory, Heenen-Wolff (2011) stated that attachment theories with their interest in terms of interpersonal interactions between mother and the child have influenced greatly in psychoanalysis. In the case study it that Shannon has had not had any contact with her mother since she was three years old and does not what kind of relationship she had with her mother however it does specify that services were concerned about neglect and there was evidence that Shannon was left unsupervised. From this information it relevant to consider the attachment theory and the effect of the lack of relationship Shannon has with her primary care giver when she was an infant. In relation to this Schore (2000) stated that at age three the final stage of the Bowlby’s attachment theory (1969) the child begins to demonstrate behaviours of attachment and begins to develop an internal working model, a cognitive framework that influences the child’s personality and future relationships/interactions with others. This is important to consider in relation to Shannon who was separated from her mother at three years old which could be a concern in terms of her attachment with others during and later in her

Children, who have been subjected to neglect or abuse in their early relationships, instead of love and sensitivity, are liable to have “attachment difficulties”. They are likely to have a negative view of themselves, others and the world around them (Bomber, 2007, Howe et al, 1999, Cassidy, 1988, in Thompson) and their readiness to learn and potential to benefit from education will be diminished. (Bomber, 2007, Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 2008). Bowlby’s attachment theory is a useful framework for understanding the confusing behaviour of these children (Bomber, 2007). Bowlby (1958) defined attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” and proposed that attachment can be understood within an evolutionary context

In this essay I will explore the meaning and purpose of attachment and discuss research into attachment concentrating on John Bowlby’s 1944 “44 thieves” study conducted to test his maternal deprivation theory and Schaffer & Emerson’s 1964 “ Glasgow babies” study.

The children have to understand the importance of attachment theory because, it may help them to solve many

This essay will comprise, firstly, of past research looking into what attachment/ attachment theory is, focusing on Bowlby’s (1973) research into why an infant’s first attachment is so important. Followed, by the work of Ainsworth et al (1978) bringing to light the findings from the strange situation, and how the research can explain mental illness. From this and in-depth discussion looking at how the previously discussed pieces of research have an effect on two particular disorders, depression and anxiety; while keeping a holistic approach considering other variables within attachment theory which have been linked with the development of these disorders. Through-out, the implications of knowing about this potential link between attachment and mental health will also be discussed. Finally, a conclusion will be made to whether there is a strong link with attachment and mental illness.

‘Attachment’ is a lasting secure and positive feeling that bonds one person to another, one of the strongest forms of attachment is thought to develop between a mother and child. Many psychologist, sociologist, physicians and psychoanalysts have sought to explore the fundamental nature of attachment and how it had evolved. Within this essay I shall examine