Bowlby Attachment Theory

1498 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Strength and weaknesses to Bowlby's attachment theory

John Bowlby (1969) defined attachment as a ‘lasting psychological connectedness between human beings’ (as cited in Sawyer, 2012) and formed the attachment theory to explain the importance of a good attachment bond between an infant and mother, for healthy human development. This essay will argue that the attachment theory has provided a significant contribution to the understanding of human development, by explaining how the key concepts of this theory have formed the approach to caregiving and also drawing on the research that is in favour of the theory. This essay will also explain how attachment types formed during infancy will continue to have an impact on adult development. Bowlby’s attachment theory was built upon the concepts of ethology. …show more content…

If there is a lack of maternal care, it can lead to serious problems with human development and this is what is known as the maternal deprivation hypothesis. Children deprived of maternal care and raised in institutions under the age of seven can be affected in all aspects of human development, such as socially and emotionally. Bowlby’s (1951) studies of juvenile delinquents showed that the majority of ‘affectionless psychopaths’ had experienced long periods of separation from their mother. This is important to understanding human development as it shows that when there is a lack of maternal care, it seriously hampers the way a child develops. (Holmes, …show more content…

The internal working model is important in human development and attachment, as it affects existing and future relationships. The internal working model is comprised of different cognitive representations of the self, of others and the attachment bond between the infant and primary caregiver. (Berman and Sperling). It is formed through the interaction and communication developed between the child and primary caregiver and it is the internalisation of this interaction that leads to the development of the internal working model. (Mash & Barkley, 2006) Secure attachments, which arise as a result of attentive caregiving, will lead to a positive internal working model. This will lead them to have secure, trusting relationships with others. Insecure-avoidant infants are thought to have a positive model of the self, however they have a negative model of others. Therefore in relationships, infants do not value the importance of emotional

Show More
Related

  • Evaluate Bowlby's Attachment Theory

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    The influence of Bowlby’s attachment theory is relevant when dealing with transitions because it has informed people and practitioners about the importance of attachment and the key worker system. Bowlby’s attachment theory evolved to ensure children are protected and for their survival to be increased. Bowlby believed that a child’s first attachment is built quite early on and is normally formed with the mother. This relationship between the mother and the baby is the template for relationships in the future. It provides the child with an internal working model. If the child’s first attachment doesn’t have a positive effect then this can result in the child finding it difficult to form other attachments with practitioners, family members and friends. If the first attachment is secure and strong the child will be able to build relationships with other people without having a problem. According to Bowlby the cognitive development of the child is affected when early attachment is formed because it provides a secure base for exploration. Although Bowlby’s theory has a lot of positive aspects other theorists have research that disagrees with his work. Schaffer & Emerson

    Read More

  • John Bowlby Attachment Theory Essay

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    Developing secure attachments is a process that is supported by a caring and nurturing environment. Babies and young children make emotional attachments and form relationships that lay the foundation for future mental health and well-being. Attachment relationships are particularly important and have far reaching effects on the development of personal, emotional, social and cognitive skills. In the first few months of life babies make attachments with their primary carers.

    Read More

  • Criticisms Of Attachment Theory

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    Criticisms of attachment theory have come mainly from the feminist schools of thought since the theory has been used to argue that no woman with a young child should work outside the home or spend time away from her baby (Goodsell and Meldrum, 2010). Children’s experience and development also depend on what happens after early years, whether bad or good later in life may change a child’s emotional development, e.g. lack of basic needs, diet, education, stimulation such as play might affect a child’s development (Rutter, 1981). Differences in cultures have to be taken into consideration as well. A study by Schaffer and Emmerson (1964) provided contradictory evidence for Bowlby’s attachment theory. They noted attachment was more prominent at eight months, and afterwards children became attached to more than one person.

    Read More

  • Attachment Theory: Systematic Analysis Of The Family Of Origin

    1912 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first topic that came up in the interview relates to idea of attachment theory. Attachment theory explains the human’s way of relating to a caregiver and receives an attachment figures relating to the parent, and children. In addition, the concept explains the confidence and ability for a child to free explore their environment with a place to seek support, protection, and comfort in times of distress (Levy, Ellison, Scott, and Bernecker, 2010, p. 193). Within attachment theory explains different types of attachment styles that children experience during early childhood. These attachment styles affect the relationships they continue to build in adulthood. The best attachment style happens when the parent is attuned to the child during his or her early childhood called secure attachment (Reyes, 2010, p. 174). In order for complete secure attachment, the child needs to feel safe, seen, and soothed. Any relationship that deviates from this model represents the anxious or insecure attachment. This means that parents or caregivers are inconsistently responsive to the children. Children who have these parents are usually confused and insecure. Some children experience a dismissive attachment where they

    Read More

  • Health and Social Care

    1450 Words  | 3 Pages

    Attachments are formed with parents; this contributes to give a sense of who we are and who we will become in later life. However where these attachments are broken the child needs to have a secure attachment established with an alternative adult care giver,...

    Read More

  • The Attachment Theory and Factors Damaging to Attachment

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The pioneers of Attachment Theory realized early on that human beings are not solely influenced by drives but that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers greatly impact their ability to forge lasting relationships later in life. John Bowlby was first to introduce this theory to the masses in the 1950’s, and later Mary Ainsworth conducted further research to expand on Bowlby’s theory which proclaims that attachment is a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). The attachment bond theory by both Bowlby and Ainsworth focuses on the significance of the relationship between babies and their caretakers which research has suggested is accountable for influencing impending interactions, firming or injuring our capabilities to concentrate, being aware of our emotional states, self-soothing capabilities, and the capacity to be resilient in the face of hardship. Additionally, this research has provided a framework for assisting in describing these att...

    Read More

  • Infant Attachment Essay

    2096 Words  | 5 Pages

    It has been proposed that infant attachment styles do not change after the first year of life, the following essay will argue against this prompt in that ones attachment style will change continuously throughout life. Attachment theory is based on the joint work of Bowlby and Ainsworth (Bretherton, 1992). In recent years the idea of ‘attachment’ has become and increasingly popular debate within developmental psychology (Bretherton, 1992). Attachment theory provides an explanation on how parent and child relationships are formed and the important role they play in child development. However majority of the research into attachment has focused on identifying the stability of attachment rather then identifying the possible insatiability of

    Read More

  • John Bowlby's Attachment Theory

    2162 Words  | 5 Pages

    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, insecure/resistant, insecure/avoidant and disorganized/disoriented, later leading to research studies done to observe this behavior and how it affects a child in their adolescence and adulthood.

    Read More

  • Comparing John Erikson And Mary Ainsworth And John Bowlby

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    The attachment theory, presented by Mary Ainsworth in 1969 and emerged by John Bowlby suggests that the human infant has a need for a relationship with an adult caregiver, and without a subsequent, development can be negatively impacted (Hammonds 2012). Ainsworth proposes that the type of relationship and “attachment” an infant has with the caregiver, can impact the social development of the infant. As stated by Hammonds (2012), attachment between a mother and a child can have a great impact on the child 's future mental

    Read More

  • Infant Attachment

    1419 Words  | 3 Pages

    Secure attachment is not restricted to just American children. Around the world, parents create an attachment to their child. The values and behaviors of the parent/child dyad may differ; however, the ultimate goal of security is still prevalent. Regardless of location, children must maintain the continuity of care giving. If the child does experience a different response from his or her parent, the attachment will ultimately be jeopardized.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Attachment for the Children's Development

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Attachment theory is the idea that a child needs to form a close relationship with at least one primary caregiver. The theory proved that attachment is necessary to ensure successful social and emotional development in an infant. It is critical for this to occur in the child’s early infant years. However, failed to prove that this nurturing can only be given by a mother (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Many aspects of this theory grew out of psychoanalyst, John Bowlby’s research. There are several other factors that needed to be taken into account before the social worker reached a conclusion; such as issues surrounding poverty, social class and temperament. These factors, as well as an explanation of insecure attachment will be further explored in this paper.

    Read More

  • Reactive Attachment Disorder in Children

    1872 Words  | 4 Pages

    An infant’s initial contact with the world and their exploration of life is directly through the parent/ primary caregiver. As the child grows, learns, and develops, a certain attachment relationship forms between them and the principle adult present in this process. Moreover, this attachment holds huge implications concerning the child’s future relationships and social successes. Children trust that their parental figure will be there; as a result, children whom form proper attachments internalize an image of their world as stable, safe, and secure. These children will grow independent while at the same time maintaining a connection with their caregivers. (Day, 2006). However, when a child f...

    Read More

  • John Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory Of Attachment

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his evolutionary theory of attachment, originator John Bowlby, dictates that infants are born with an innate ability to form attachments with caregivers as a survival tactic. His research and findings rejected the previously conceived notion that humans are motivated by inborn drives and that children become connected to parents because of the tangible benefits provided by the parent. In contrast, Bowlby proposed that human motivation is generated by an intuitive behavioral system that facilitates one’s survival; in terms of a child’s basic need for affection, security, and protection. Although Bowlby takes a psychoanalytic approach to his theory, he also focuses on parent-child interactions and the ways in which cognitive residues of

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast the Work of Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth on Understanding Attachment.

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    This essay will compare and contrast the work of psychologists Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth. To compare and contrast will be to emphasise the similarities and differences of both Harlow and Ainsworth’s work on understanding attachment, to which they have both made great contribution. Attachment refers to the mutually affectionate developing bond between a mother and any other caregiver (Custance 2010). It is a bond in which the infant sees the caregiver as a protective and security figure. Failing to form any type of attachment during the earliest years of childhood is thought to lead to social and emotional developmental issues that can carry on well into adult life (Custance 2010). Attachment theory was formulated by psychoanalyst John Bowlby with the theory of ‘cupboard love’ (affection that is given purely to gain a reward) (Custance 2010). There are differing theories on why and how infants form attachments but this essay will concentrate on the theories of Harlow and Ainsworth.

    Read More

  • Bowlby’s Attachment Theory

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    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. “Attachment is as essential for the child’s psychological well-being as food is for physical health claimed Bowlby” Wood, B (2001, p.54). Bowlby claimed in this statement that attachment is a necessary thing which a child needs in order to develop healthily.

    Read More

More about Bowlby Attachment Theory

Open Document