Attachment Theory Research

Attachment Theory The bond between a child and a caregiver is based on the child's need for safety, security, and protection, which is paramount in infancy and childhood (Bretherton, 1992). The ability to form emotional bonds in the early stages of infant development is a fundamental component of emotional development and a predictor of later interpersonal functioning (Hutchinson, 2013). John Bowlby, who initially began his study on attachment by observing animals, proposed that children attach to caregivers instinctively. Evolutionarily speaking, those who are able to remain close and attached to their caregivers were more likely to survive through to the reproductive stages and develop healthy attachments in their adulthood (Fraley, 2004; Hutchinson, 2013). He concluded that the infant initiates the bonding sequence, but it is the mother’s behaviors that strengthen their bonding (Hutchinson, 2013). Mary Ainsworth was Bowlby’s most famous collaborator in explaining human attachment and conducted experiments that demonstrated that affectional bonds between infants and caregivers are persistent and not transitory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978). As a result of his upbringing in an upper-middle-class family in London, which included a nanny, an absent mother, and boarding school by the age of seven, as well as the time he spent working as a volunteer in a school for maladjusted children, John Bowlby developed the attachment theory (Bretherton, 1992). His conclusion, based on his research and available empirical evidence, was that for an infant and young child to grow up mentally healthy, they should experience a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with their mother or permanent caregiver. If this could be accomplished, both the child and the caregiver would experience satisfaction and enjoyment (Bowlby, 1951)....

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...Sixty percent of children develop a secure attachment, which is demonstrated through their ability to explore their environment in a positive manner and utilize skills acquired during attachment development to have positive interactions with their peers, develop close friendships as they age, and navigate life in a mentally healthy manner. Even though Richard cannot remember his early childhood, he has demonstrated that he and his mother were successful in formulating a secure attachment, as evidenced by his ability to maneuver in a healthy manner with relationships and achieve professional successes throughout his life.