Ted Bundy Attachment Theory

Children who fail to form a secure and loving relationship with their caregivers are believed to experience a range of issues including emotional, behavioral and social problems, which contribute to the antisocial personality disorder (Levy at al, 2004). In addition, Ted’s cousin usually teased him and called him a bastard. His cousin even cruelly showed his birth certificate (Crime Feed Staff, 2015). Ted Bundy had said that: “ I didn’t know what made people want to be friends. I didn’t know what made people attractive to one another. I didn’t know what underlay social interactions (Biography,2017).” Even until he was a adult, he could still not have close relationship and he still failed to understand what interpersonal relationships were about (Michaud et al, 1999). The disability to form close relationships may resulted as the failure relationship between he and his mom. In one of the interview with Ted Bundy, he said: “ We didn’t talk about real personal matters. Certainly never about sex or any of those things. My mom has trouble talking on inmate, personal terms. There’s this logjam things in her that she doesn’t open up and explain (Crime Feed Staff, 2015).” It may not be the total reason for it but it can be the reason of causing unhealthy adult 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

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.

Ted was feeling resentment towards his mother for lying about who his parents was, and for finding out by his cousin instead of her.

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.

“Three-year-old Ted Bundy sneaked into his teenage aunt Julia's room one morning, and slipped butcher knives under the covers of her bed. ‘He just stood there and grinned,’ she said” (Scott 28). Bundy would go on to murder over 30 girls via strangulation and mutilation. “Serial killer Carl Panzram himself wrote: ‘All of my family are as the average human beings are. They are honest and hardworking people.

The Attachment Theory was developed by psychiatrist John Bowlby and elaborated by developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth. The pair established that attachment was a bond between two people, as well as “a behavioral system through which humans regulate their emotional distress when under threat and achieve security by seeking proximity to [this] other person” (Sigelman and Rider, 2012, p. 440). The earliest attachments form during infancy and shape the outcome of the other attachments a person will establish throughout their childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The theories Psychoanalytic theory, Social Cognitive Learning Theory, and Ethological Theory each explain attachment differently, but all three relate to Bowlby and Ainsworth’s Theory of Attachment. Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory says that infants, establishing their first attachment when they are about 6

Attachment theory concerns the psychological, evolutionary and ethological ideas that help us understand relationships between people. Theorists believe that a child has a need to form attachments with an adult care giver to ensure adequate growth and social and emotional development. This ‘bond’ has to be maintained by the care giver and mostly uninterrupted to ensure a child grows into a happy and confident, adapted adult.

Attachment theory, first hypothesized by Bowlby over five decades ago, has seen resurgence in recent years (De Rick, Vanheule; Verhaeghe, 2009). Significant aspects of attachment theory have reinforced the idea that the relationship

The concept of attachment was first introduced by John Bowlby (1969), who emphasizes the importance of mother-child relationship when he was studying children who had been separated from their mothers. Attachment is the close, enduring emotional bond to parents or other caregivers, and it is necessary for normal social and emotional development. Mary Ainsworth expanded Bowlby’s attachment theory by devising the “Strange Situation” method to observe children’ behavior during episodes of repeated separation and reunion with their caregivers, and categorized into three distinct patterns of attachment: secure, avoidant, and resistant. A fourth attachment style, known as disorganized, was later proposed by Main and Solomon (1990). Despite the growing literature on attachment theory, a great number of questions about attachment theory remain unanswered. Ethical issues, limitations, and questions of early attachment studies, as well as future directions in attachment theory research, are discussed.

The attachment theory gives an outlook explanation of how a parent- child relationship develops and influences the developmental stages through the infant’s growth. The most important stage of infant attachment is in the early years, which cannot be overstated; this affects the nurture abilities of the parents to present responsiveness to their child. Ainsworth and Bowlby (1969) illustrated that attachment was an emotional bond, which connected one person to another across time and space. They also believed that attachment was characterised by specific behaviours, which are known in children. These behaviours are perceived when the child is seeking proximity towards an attachment figure when they are feeling upset or even threatened.

Strengths of attachment theory are that interaction between a care giver and an infant (Berghaos, 2011). This theory made us understand the importance of responding to an infant’s cry can help them form an attachment (Berghaos, 2011). This led us to understand Ainsworth idea of that interaction as a secure base for the infant (Berghaos, 2011). Critics have said that some early attachments do not become consistent throughout the individuals life (Berghaos, 2011). They believe that attachment theory is too simple to explain adult relationships and psychopathology (Berghaos, 2011).

The attachment theory has been a topic of discussion since about 1951, when introduced by John Bowlby. Mary Salter Ainsworth later created the famous “Strange Situation” experiment to test this theory (Berant, 2013). Until this point, most psychologists studied adulthood behaviors and worked backward to childhood. Bowlby believed that childhood attachments impact adulthood. (Berant, 2013). Attachment styles that the “Strange Situation” study named include secure, anxious avoidant, anxious ambivalent, and disorganized styles (Herbers, 2014). The attachment needs beginning from birth onward are important for optimum attachment with a caregiver and future security of the child into adulthood. Many factors of a child’s early caregiver experience create the style of attachment whether a family member, foster parent, or institutional caregiver. This desire for attachment can also relate to our spiritual walk through life. Caring for others and receiving God’s love can fulfill those needs and desires in our spiritual aspects. Ideal early attachment is a factor in every culture, no matter where a person originates, or what income level and the style of attachment can determine the type of adult behaviors the future holds for a person.

Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment hypothesizes that when children come into the world they are already biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, due to survival skills. He claimed that caregiver attachments has profound implications for child’s security and capacity to form trusting relationship. There are four phases; Preattachment phase (birth - 6 weeks) attachment in making (6 weeks - 6 to 8 months) clear cut attachment (6 to 8 months to 18months to 2 years) and formation of reciprocal relationship ( 18 months to 2 years on.) Ainsworth’s strange situation theory is theory of attachment. She observed the attachment relationships between a caregiver and a child. There are four types of attachment: secure, insecure-ambivalent,

Attachment theory is based on the belief that humans are wired to connect with others and that the attachment patterns established in early childhood tend to continue throughout life and that as human beings we are wired to connect and seek healthy social engagement and connectedness with others. Early bonds with our parents/caregivers sets the tone in patterns for how we pursue future relationships with others, and, more importantly how we see our place in the world (Berzoff, Flanagan, & Hertz, 2011). The theory grew out of the initial work done by John Bolwby, who worked with homeless and orphaned children after WWII. It was at this time, that he observed the profound and persistent effects of the absence of a caring maternal caregiver figure on these children who lacked but yet desired attention, love and attunement.