Theories Of Attachment

Influenced by Konrad Lorenz 's (1935) study of imprinting, which indicated that attachment (in goslings) was innate and possessed survival value (Mcleod, 2009), John Bowlby, formulated his ethological theory of attachment, based on the idea that humans are born with an attachment control system, designed to mature through early development, in order to promote attachments with care givers permitting survival of the infant. (Worthman et. al, 2010, p111)

Bowlby worked for many years as a child psychoanalyst so was clearly very influenced by Freud’s theories and child development. However, he also liked the work of Lorenz on the innate nature of bonds through imprinting and combined these two very different ideas to produce his own evolutionary theory of attachments. Bowlby believed that attachment is innate and adaptive. We are all born with an inherited need to form attachments and this is to help us survive. In line with Darwin’s theory of natural selection, any behaviour that helps you

To begin with attachment theory, first everyone should understand what the attachment is. According to attachment means bonding between a child and caregiver or vice versa. The attachment theory is the theory that describes the long term interpersonal relationship between the humans. Also, it can be defined as the strong bond between parent and child, and later in peer and romantic relationship (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 85). It generates a specific fact that how the humans react in relationships when they get hurt, separated from loved ones and perceiving a threat. Basically the two main types of attachment are secure and insecure. Secure attachment is the attachments where mother and father are available for their child and during that time child demonstrates his or her stress and reestablish the connection (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 87). Insecure attachment is the attachment where parents are not regularly in touch with their children or they ignore their child which built a failed emotion communication (Metzger, Erdman, Ng 87). Also, it may be repeated from one generation to another until it is not recovered. However, as a result of attachment theory, it is so important for children to know about it and there are also several emotional effects on children when their parents leave to go to another county due to their connections or bond between them.

Bowlby believed that babes had have built in social releasers that help form attachment, for example, crying and smiling. These would stimulate responses in caregivers. Bowlby also suggested that the infant would form only one primary attachment, and that this attachment would act as a secure base for exploring the world. This theory was also backed up by Mary Ainsworth ‘The Strange Situation’, Eysenck (2000). Another conclusion in Bowlbys attachment theory was that there was a sensitive period; a period were imprinting was important. This would affect attachment and have lifelong consequences. He

The Development of Attachment Theory and Its Strengths and Limitations English psychiatrist John Bowlby is a leading and influential figure within the history of social reform. His work has influenced social work policies and legislation relating to child psychiatry and psychology. Bowlby was trained as a psychoanalyst, and was influenced by Freudians theories, but became influenced again in his attachment theory by the work of ethologists. The ethologists theory concentrates on looking at the role parents play rather than only the child. Bowlby believes that parenting has strong ties with biology and it explains why there are such strong emotions attached.

The attachment theory on nativist debate emphases on nature or biological factors, for example genes in developing attachment. Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment is an example that support the nativist debate which recommends that children are present on this earth as a nativist (biological) pre-planned to develop bond with other people, which enable them to survive in their environments. He was greatly prejudiced by ethological theory in overall, but particularly by Lorenz’s (1935) study of imprinting; Lorenz displayed that “attachment was innate in young ducklings. Lorenz believed the ability for animals to form an emotional bond is inborn and adaptive, so he carried out a study to found out the natural behaviours in animals particularly in greylag geese and

Attachment theory in psychology originates with the seminal work of John Bowlby (1958) who was a child psychiatrist who treated many emotionally disturbed children. This led Bowlby to formulate his attachment theory. Working with James Robertson (1952) they observed that children experienced distress when they were separated from their mothers, this anxiety did not dissipate even when an additional caregiver fed the child. The theory suggests that children come into the world pre-programmed to form attachments with others because this will help them to survive. He viewed the first three years as a very sensitive period

Attachment theory was created by John Bowlby in the late 1930’s (McLeod, 2009). He came up with this theory when he was working with children in London at a psychiatric clinic (McLeod, 2009). The children he was working with were emotionally disturbed and needed much help (McLeod, 2009). It was this experience that led Bowlby to consider the importance of the relationship between the child and the parent (emotionally and cognitively) (McLeod, 2009). More specifically, he was able to theorize that there might be a link between early infant separations with the mother and later maladjustment, which would lead Bowlby to create his attachment theory (McLeod, 2009).

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory Bowlby defined attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings." His ethological theory of attachment suggests that infants have an innate need to form an attachment bond with a caregiver. This is an evolved response that increases a child's chances of survival. Babies are born with a number of behaviors such as crying and cooing, and caregivers are biologically programmed to respond to these signals and attend to the child’s needs. While mothers are often associated with this role as primary caregivers and attachment figures, Bowlby did believe that infants could form such bonds with others.

A psychoanalyst, John Bowlby, developed the attachment theory in 1969 after examining the intense distress that infants exhibited when separated from their parents. His observations showed that babies would perform extraordinary acts to prevent separation or to re-establish proximity. Using ethological theory, Bowlby posited that attachment behaviours, like crying and frantic searching, can be described as adaptive responses during separation from a main attachment figure. Moreover, Bowlby asserted that in evolutionary history, infants who preserved proximity to an attachment figure through attachment behaviours increased their rate of survivability to the reproductive age.

Ainsworth and her colleagues (1978) identified various patterns of attachment. Infants show secure attachment or insecure attachment (Rathus & Longmuir, 2015, p. 100).

Findings from animal studies were a powerful influence on Bowlby 's thoughts. He suggested too that there was a critical period for the development of attachments between infant and care giver. According to Bowlby, children display an innate tendency to become attached to one particular individual. He called this monotropy. He suggested this trend was qualitatively different from any subsequent attachment a child might form. However, he did not suggest monotropy was absolute but that the child has a hierarchy of attachments.

Bowlby's attachment theory proposes that the teens are born biologically pre-programmed to frame connections with others, since this will help them to survive. Bowlby was particularly impacted by ethological hypothesis when all is said in done, yet particularly by Lorenz's (1935) investigation of engraving. Lorenz demonstrated that connection was inborn and consequently has a survival esteem. Bowlby trusted that connection practices are instinctual and will be actuated by any conditions that appear to undermine the accomplishment of closeness, for example, partition, uncertainty and

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

Early studies on attachment were conducted on animals and one of the earliest ones was carried out by Konrad Lorenz. His studies eventually led to the discovery of imprinting, which is defined as the behaviour that takes place during a critical period and involves