Bowlby 's Theory Of Attachment

Perhaps the most influential explanation of attachment was presented by John Bowlby who began developing his ideas in the 1940s. Bowlby was commissioned by the World Health Organisation to investigate whether young children were likely to be harmed if they are separated from their mothers in the early years. (Hayes, 1996). Bowlby (1951) reported that infants possesses an innate need to attach to one main attachment figure (this was usually the mother). According to Hayes (1996), this is a special relationship which is qualitatively different from the relationship they form with any other kind of person. He described this as the process of monotropy; however, Bowlby did not deny that babies formed lots of attachments. (Bailey et al. 2008).

Bowlby emphasised the significance of the mother-child bond, particularly in the first 3 years of a child’s life. If this relationship was unsatisfactory or if separation occurred during this crucial period, Bowlby asserted that serious psychological problems could ensure. This theory is called – attachment theory- and one does not have to fully support the psychoanalytical tradition to hold the view that, their things being equal, children appear to benefit in there is continuity in upbringing, especially during the early years. (Berridge, D., Cleaver, 1987, p

Bowlby’s attachment theory has greatly influenced practice. His theory of attachment explains the importance of having a figure that the child shares a strong bond with. Having an attachment can significantly support a child’s development as Barbara Woods suggests that “his theory of attachment proposed that attachment is innate in both infants and mothers, and that the formation of this attachment is crucial for the infants development” Wood, B (2001, p.53). Bowlby believed that forming an attachment will help a child develop in all areas e.g. emotionally, physical and mentally. However if they did not form an attachment in the sensitive period, the child may have issues or problems in their cognitive, emotional and social development.

1.) Bowlby's attachment theory stresses the importance of a secure attachment between an infant and his or her mother. If the caregiver, most likely the mother, makes the infant feel like he or she is well-taken care of, then the child learns that they can trust that the mother will always be around and will be there when or if the child ever needs someone to depend on. This is achieved in four distinct ways (Myers, 2009). The infant needs to have a secure base with the child. The child needs to know that if he or she becomes afraid, they will always have someone to go back to. This secure base also needs to be a safe haven where the child can be comforted upon feeling afraid. The child will also always try to stay near the caregiver in order to feel this safe haven, and any separation will cause distress because of being away from their secure base and safe haven. All of these factors come into play in the article "Ghosts in the nursery: A psychoanalytic approach to the problems of impaired infant-mother relationships" (Fraiberg et al 1975). By lacking these specific features, the infant going into the program were deprived of the necessary mechanisms that Bowlby asserted were essential to forming a well-rounded secure person.

Bowlby said that early attachment was crucial to a child’s healthy mental development & this is a key part for how they build relationships later on in life. He said that children are influenced the most by the relationship with their primary carer (mainly mother). For the 1st 6 months of a babies life they have a need to attach to one main person. This is called the monotropic attachment. He also said that a child should be cared for by the same person for the first 2 years of their life as any kind of disruption would lead to lasting effects of their development. E.g. depression & antisocial behaviour. He then changes what he said and stated that children were capable of forming multiple attachments and it was important for them to build

Bowlby believed that an attachment was formed between a child and their mother to increase the baby’s chances of survival, the chance of the mother passing on her genes to further generations is also increased due to this attachment because then the child will be able to grow up and have children of their own. Bowlby said that children are born with pre-programmes behaviours to gain our attention; this includes actions such as smiling and crying. Adults have the instinct to respond to these behaviours and so there is a mutual relationship, and the baby is able to be looked after and survive as when they cry or smile, someone pleases their needs. Bowlby believes that the baby forms a monotropic relationship with the main caregiver, this is usually the mother. The monotropic bond has to be formed within the first two years of the child being alive, others serious and irreparable damage will be done to the baby, this also includes if the bond is broken for a long period of time. If the bond is broken for a long period of time then they will have problems in adulthood, especially if the bond breaking has happened within the7ir first three years of life as they have not begun their lives in a stable environment with stable relationships and attachments. To Bowlby, he believes that the job of a mother figure for the first three years is to focus on the child and care for them. He believes that if a mother is working full time then this could have similar consequences for the child

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’.

Bowlby stated attachment was not shaped solely from the child’s acceptance, but the behaviour of another significant other, usually the mother or caregiver who had a crucial role in the child’s growth. The growth and development of the child is reliant on four stages of process from birth, Bowlby stated these stages were where the child would bind to the mother or vice versa, he proposed one to two months old in which the infant shows attachment to the mother by crying, sucking. The second stage up to six months old the child has the focus on a mother figures and attaches to the one he or she has more contact with. The third stage up to aged two named the secure base, where the child has its focus on the where the main caregiver is when their welfare is under threat. The stage up over the age of two is concerned on the child learning a behaviour and how this affects the relationship with their mothers or attachments, this will be the grounding for subsequent relationships

Attachment is defined as the bond that is formed between an infant and a primary caregiver and the reaction an infant has during separation when reuniting with his/her primary caregiver (Lee, 2003). Since parents, biology, and culture influence attachment, children will experience different effects and results based on how attachment develops.

In chapter 3, the theory of attachment proposed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth is explored. First, Bowlby’s theory of attachment was influenced by the ethological theorist, Darwin, Lorenz, and Tinbergen, who were previously mentioned in the chapter. Bowlby emphasized that behaviors found in animals, such as seeking close proximity from mothers to reduce the chance of becoming a prey, can also be found in toddlers. For example, Bowlby defined that actions such as following, crying out, and clinging found in children are displayed in order to keep close distance to parents is called attachment behaviors. Bowlby incorporates imprinting and instincts, which are ethological terms, to explain different phases of attachment. As the child develops through time, the attachment of child and parent deepens their

His new theory stated that infants are social from a very young age, 6 months to less than two years old. The infants become focused on a particular individual or a few individuals. Bowlby's aim was to discover the consequences of difficulties in forming attachments in childhood, and the effects this would have on an infant's later development. He came up with the idea that infants develop a close emotional bond with an attachment figure early in life, and that the success or failure of this earliest of relationships lead the infant to form a mental representation that would have profound effects on their later relationships and their own success as a parent ("Attachment Theory," 2011).

Attachment is a lasting and profound emotional bond that attaches one individual to another across space and time (Bowlby, 1969; Ainsworth, 1973). Attachment does not have to be a mutual thing; one individual may have an attachment to another person however he or she may not feel the same way. Attachment is considered by the way children behave, for example seeking closeness with the attachment figure when they are endangered or in distress (Bowlby, 1969).

John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure,

As humans, building relationships between others is a form of connecting and communicating. It is a social situation that is experienced every day through the course of a lifetime. The initial relationship that is made is between the mother and the child. This bond that connects two people is known to be called attachment. The theory of attachment begins at birth, and from that, continuing on to other relationships in family, friends, and romance. Attachment is taught through social experiences, however the relationship with the mother and her temperament are the key factors in shaping the infants attachment type, which

Bowlby discovered upon observing children in hospitals or institutions who had been separated from their parents, went through three stages of loss, i.e. separation anxiety (threat of loss), grief and mourning (acceptance of loss) and defence (protection from loss). In the late 60’s, Bowlby established that childhood development depended greatly upon a child’s ability to form a strong relationship with at least one primary caregiver and that would usually be the