Modifications of Bowlby's Attachment Theory

Modifications of Bowlby's Attachment Theory

Bowlby's original theory of attachment was concerned with the bonding

relationship that develops between an infant and his primary

caregiver. He believed the process of bonding to have a biological

basis as the genes of those infants who successfully sought the

protection of a caregiver (from predators and other dangers) will have

survived and been passed on. Bowlby also formulated the Maternal

Deprivation hypothesis (1953) which is associated with his theory of

attachment and resulted from a study on delinquent boys. Bowlby found

that many of these boys shared a history of institutionalised care and

concluded that infants need to bond with and maintain a loving

relationship with a mother figure, for good mental health. This

recommendation came at a time when men had returned from the 2nd.

World War and needed employment. Bowlby's findings affected childcare

as it provided a reason for the nurseries (started during the war) to

close, persuading mothers back into their traditional role at home and

thus freeing up jobs for the men.

According to Bowlby's attachment theory, separation from the caregiver

is perceived as threatening by the infant and therefore invokes

proximity promoting or attachment behaviours in order to restore

proximity to the caregiver. These behaviours include crying, clinging

and calling out. Ainsworth went on to state that the caregiver who has

bonded with the infant would remain available to the infant, providing

a secure base from which that infant can explore the environment

around him. Ainsworth was interested in the quality of the

infant/caregiver relationship ...

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...is widely believed that the quality of

early attachment relationships affects the way we form later

relationships and the quality of parenting skills. Research is

currently investigating ways of intervening where there is risk of

insecure attachment by modifying the adult internal working model.

Bowlby's work then has provided a good foundation for further

research; the strange situation technique was based on Bowlby's theory

of attachment and is still widely used today in assessing the quality

of attachments. The concept of the internal working model is also

still useful and has provided a way of approaching the improvement of

parenting skills. Modern research has, however, largely rendered the

maternal deprivation hypothesis redundant, along with the message that

mothers should stay at home to raise their children.