Bowlby 's Evolutionary Theory Of Attachment

What is the definition of attachment? If you look it up in a dictionary it explains that it is ‘an emotional bond between an infant or toddler and primary caregiver, a strong bond being vital for the child’s normal behavioural and social development’. That strong bond between infant and caregiver is believed to happen between the ages of 6-8 months although Bowlby (1958) suggests that the infants are born into this world pre-programmed to form attachments, they have innate behaviours in the way of crying, smiling, crawling and cooing which will stimulate attention and comforting responses from the caregivers. These behaviours are called social releasers. Kagan et al (1978)

Attachment, according to Emde (1982) is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another, across time and space. John Bowlby, and Evolutionist, believed that attachment was pre-programmed. In order for us to survive as a species, we needed to attach to a significant other; that its innate in us to single out a few specific individuals around us and attach to them, an so providing a survival advantage. Bowlby rationalised that the attachment between a mother and infant was unlike any other bond; very unlike the bond an infant would develop with another human. He coined it ‘Monotrophy’.

The term ‘attachment’ is used by psychologists who study the child’s early relationships. An attachment is a unique emotional bond normal between a child and an adult. A theorist called John Bowlby (1970-90) had a relation to the attachment theory. In 1950s John identified that when children and

John Bowlby’s work in attachment has been the foundation when determining the attcahments and bonds that a child and parent may experience (Webb, 2011). According to Bowlby, “attachment” is referring to a lasting, mutual bond of affection that is dependent on an individual or more than one person (Webb, 2011). Establishing a secure attachment during infancy and early childhood is an important task of a parent or a caregiver. Not all parents or caregivers can provide their child with a secure attachment at this important in life due to various reasons. Since parents are the main providers in their child’s development of attachment, their lives and history has a great influence on their children’s lives.

Preattachment takes place between birth and 6 weeks of the baby’s life. During this period a baby responds to the smell and voice of their mother. This is what comforts them. When the caregiver picks the baby up or smiles at the baby the first stages of attachment are formed. The complete stage of attachment has not yet been formed as you could leave the baby with an unfamiliar person and they would still be content.

One of the key theorists of attachment is John Bowlby and his ‘Attachment theory". Bowlby believed ‘the attachment of a caregiver is an inherited mechanism to

He, believed people did not form an attachment straight away. However, took longer to form one, unlike geese; developing one instantaneously. Where classical conditioning comes in. “association between different things being learnt, having food given to them, fulfilling the baby’s pleasure and contentment”. (Parsons, 2008). The mother requiring to satisfy, babies desire for food; the association between the mother, baby and food is being made.

By definition, “attachment is the emotional bond between an infant and the primary caregiver (Romero; Perry).” During the first eight months of life, an infant will typically form an emotional attachment to a caregiver. The kind of attachment is based on the nurture and care the infant receives. The type of attachment between an infant and a caregiver can help determine the child’s personality and development (Romero).

The aim off this assignment is to demonstrate my knowledge on Bowlby’s theory of attachment by been able to apply it to Neil from the programme 56 Up. In this assignment I will be analysing Neil’s life and explaining his transition from child hood to adolescent with the help of Bowlby life course theories. Throughout this assignment I will be using an adequate amount of literature to support my statements.

Attachment is the psychological and emotional connection experienced between living things, and acts as a medium that “connects one person to another person across time and space”(Mcleod, 2009). Attachment is not only limited to existing in human beings but has been seen in grown mammals and their young offspring. Although it may seem that attachment can be mutually shared, Mcleod (2009) found that “attachment does not have to be reciprocal”. There has been numerous research and studies done on the topic of attachment, but most of the credit behind attachment studies goes to John Bowlby. John Bowlby expanded on the research of Freud’s theories about love and was the psychoanalyst who coined the term ‘attachment. He believed that attachment styles in early childhood affect adults and their future relationships. His theory strongly suggested that children come into this world with an innate desire to form an attachment with others, in order to survive. Mcleod (2009) found that “attachment can be understood within an evolutionary context in that the caregiver provides safety and security for the infant”.

When it was time, our precious baby boy was born and we decided to name him Noah. Noah as a newborn was fussy and often wanted to be held. Breastfeeding time seemed to be the perfect soothing method. I enjoyed breastfeeding because it builds up his immune system. When Noah was 3 months old there was not much attachment present, however he would smile at familiar people and toys, and was able to laugh at surprising or funny things indicating that he was comfortable with new situations and was developing awareness of his surroundings. Later on Noah recognized me as his primary caregiver because I was the one always tending to his needs. When he was upset, anxious, or troubled he preferred me over anyone else. According to Bowlby’s theory of attachment “The infant knows that the caregiver is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world”. The type of attachment that Noah had with me at the time was what Bowlby considered to be an emotional one. It was through an emotional bond that I made Noah feel protected when he was most vulnerable. As a result, Noah was more attached to me than he was to my husband. As time transcurred, he was able to bond to my husband by spending more quality time together.

Bowlby observed both humans and mammals. Bowlby 's theory is an evolutionary theory, he emphasised that attachment had evolved, which means it was not something that was taught, because of its survival and reproductive value. According to Bowlby, children have an innate (inborn characteristics which are genetically determined) drive to become attached to a caregiver as attachment has numerous long term benefits such as imprinting. Both, imprinting and

This essay will look at the development of attachment theory since the time of Bowlby and the many theories proposed to determine which best describes attachment. The Attachment theory highlights the importance of attachment especially between mothers and infants in regards to the infants personal development, both physically and emotionally. Bowlby describes attachment as “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings”(Bowlby, 1969, p.194). Bowlby’s attachment theory suggested that mothers and infants have a biological need to be in contact with one another and there would only be one main attachment made with the infant (Bowlby, 1968, 1988).

John Bowlby, who originally developed the theory of attachment, describes it as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Somerville, 2009). Furthermore, there are four main characteristic of infant attachment, proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base, and separation distress. Proximity maintenance is the desire to stay close to the people we have formed an attachment. Safe haven refers to the action of returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety when danger or fear is present. A secure base is a place where the attachment figure acts as a base of security from which a child can explore the surrounding world. Separation distress is the anxiety that occurs when the attachment figure is absent (Cherry, 2011).

Attachment theory is a concept that explores the importance of attachment in respect to direct development. “It is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space” (Bowlby, 1969; McLeod, 2009). It is the relationship that develops within the first year of the infant’s life between them and their caregiver. The theory also relates to the quality of the attachment that is shown in the behavior of the infant (Rieser-Danner, 2016). Attachment theory shows that infants need a close nurturing relationship with their caregiver in order to have a healthy relationship. Lack of response from the caregiver