Bowlby's Theory Grown Up Analysis

The attachment style that an individual exhibits as an infant can affect their adult romantic relationships. An attachment pattern is established in early childhood attachments and continues to function as a working model for relationships in adulthood. This model of attachment influences how each of us reacts to our needs and how we go about getting them met. The ability to recognize one 's attachment can help someone to understand their strengths and vulnerabilities in a relationship.

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

Psychologist Phillip Shaver expanded upon Bowlby’s theory too and stated that the attachments formed in one’s infancy extend to adult romantic relationships (Feldman, 2011). According to Shaver, securely attached adults enter into romantic relationships confidently and happily. They also tend to be supportive and sensitive to their partner’s needs. Those who have avoidant attachment style tend to be less into relationships and feel lonelier. Ambivalent or anxiously attached adults tend to be too invested in their relationships, have low self-esteem, and often are intrusive rather then helpful when

A theory that is commonly known from John Bowlby (1969) is his theory on attachment (Obadina, 2013). This theory shows the importance and understanding of relationships between one another (Obadina, 2013). The

John Bowlby, the backbone of attachment theories will be discussed throughout this essay to explain and evaluate the key theories of attachment. Health and well-being which is made up of four factors ‘physical, intellectual, emotional and social ' (Jones, 2016), will also be discussed within the essay. The definition of attachment is ‘an act of attaching or the state of being attached. ' (Dictionary, 1400) This will be showed in the assignment, using theorists to analyse the meaning. Sharing the strengths and weaknesses in some theorists will help conclude this assignment.

Attachment theory was originally proposed by Bowlby (1969) as an explanation of interpersonal relationships, with particular focus in his work on the parent-child relationships which are formed in early childhood. He noted that this was an evolutionary need within us as humans to form close attachments to improve our rate of survival (Bowlby, 1969). He later also theorized that these attachment styles would persist throughout life into adulthood (Bowlby, 1988). Further work on attachment theory by Bartholomew & Horowitz (1991) expanded on attachment styles and looked at the continuation of attachment style into adulthood. Using interviews with participants and the participants close friends they found evidence for four types of adult attachment styles: Secure, Preoccupied, Dismissing and Fearful (Bartholomew & Horowitz 1991). Further support for adult attachments styles is from Mikulincer & Shaver (2004) showing that attachments styles persist from childhood into adulthood demonstrating bowlby 's later hypothesis

In the part of the essay I will describe and evaluate Bowlbys theory of Attachment and the learning theory of Attachment. I will show strengths and weaknesses in both theories. I will use a collection of source literature to back up and correlate this information.

In Jim Yerman’s “The Golden Rule,” the reader is presented with the notation that each of us is responsible for doing right by others. Whether or not we are treated well, we can still choose to do nothing. The notation of self-control is found as Yerman’s poem begins.

Attachment Style and Romantic Relationships Research Paper Attachment theory has been of interest to many fields of study, from psychology to ethology, even biology and evolution. The developmental implications of the theory can be applied to different personalities, why we actively seek partners or long term relationships, or simply to explain why an infant may cry when its mother leaves the room. Although the initial implications were intended to explain the response of children when separated from their caregivers, research has proven its application to adult relationships, showing patterns of behavior based on attachment theory terminology. This paper explores the different aspects in which attachment theory is applied in adult relationships, such as finding a partner, predictability, and evolutionary purpose of caring for offspring.

“a way of conceptualising the propensity of human beings to make strong affectional bonds to particular others and of explaining the many forms of emotional distress and personality disturbance, including anxiety, depression, and emotional detachment, to which unwilling separation and loss give rise” (Bowlby, 1984 p.27).

Meyer and Pilkonis (2001) say that the real-life experiences that are involved with caregivers and any others is the foundation of the attachment styles. The attachment paradigm refers to both Bowlby-Ainsworth attachment theory, a new way of understanding the infant’s tie to primary caregivers (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978). This case study consisting of Chris and Sam’s romantic relationship issues is analysed to determine the reasons behind their difficulties. The reason is based on Bowlby’s attachment theory that Sam happens to be experiencing one of the three main styles that he has defined. There has been evidence linking the effects that infant attachment has on adult romantic relationships and that is where Sam’s problem

Neurobiologists have also studied this topic and agree that the cortex, medial insula, anterior cingulate, hippocampus, and reward system are all activated while looking at one’s lover. They explain love as, “feelings of exhilaration and euphoria, of a happiness that is often unbearable and certainly indescribable” (Zeki). Zeki, in his article, “The Neurobiology of Love” explains that romantic feelings of love are in response to high concentration of dopamine, which is linked to addiction and euphoric feeling, desire, and reward, oxytocin which is produced by the hypothalamus, and vasopressin, which is associated with social behavior. Zeki also explains that the hypothalamus is not activated in maternal love but is activated in both romantic feelings

Attachment theory constituted by John Bowlby suggested the child’s early attachment with primary caregiver predicts their later adulthood relationship style. There are three patterns of adult attachment theory: secure, avoidant, and ambivalent relationship styles.

Attachment is important and abiding emotional bond that pairs one person to another across time and space. Attachment is not necessarily a reciprocal emotion one person may have some attachment to other while other does not share this. Attachment of adults towards child requires a special sense of love, care, and fulfilling of needs of the child. Such behavior is prevalent in every culture of the world. Attachment theory explains that how parent and child relationship comes into being and how it develops subsequent influences. John Bowlby (1958) originated attachment theory. He was psychiatrist in a child guidance clinic. He treated many emotionally disturbed children. Bowlby acknowledged the importance of mother-child relationship regarding their cognitive, social and emotional development. He believes that early years of infants require full attention of mothers as at that time child becomes attached to his mother. Bowlby defined attachment as “as the lasting psychological connectedness between human beings “.

Expanding from infancy to the entirety of a human life, one may see the Attachment Theory and importance of interaction in early