The attachment theory is a psychodynamic theory. Psychodynamics is defined as the systematic study and theory of the psychological forces that underline human behavior, emphasizing the interplay between unconscious and conscious motivation. Bowlby broke down his theory into four characteristics of attachment. Safe haven which is when the child feels threatened or afraid, he or she can return to the caregiver for comfort and soothing. Secure base which is basically when the caregiver provides a secure and dependable base for the child to explore the world.
BECOMING ATTACHED In chapter 17 from the book “Becoming Attached” by Robert Karen, the author based his book on the research work of John Bowlby who is known as the father of attachment theory. Bowlby believed that attachment begins at infancy and continues throughout life. He developed the theory after running a study in which he attempted to understand the intense distress experienced by infants who had been separated from their parents. Karen also questions some of the most fundamental issues of emotional life: how do our early struggles with our primary caregiver shape our personality? And the impact it has in the way we relate to others as adults.
Describe and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment Bowlby’s theory of attachment argues that attachment is adaptive and innate. He believes that infants are all born with an innate need to form attachments because they enable survival. He states that attachment promotes survival in 3 ways; Proximity to an adult provides safety (for example, protection against predators, food and warmth etc. ), it provides a secure base for exploration (and fosters cognitive development and independence) and the internal working model (a schema that gives the infant a basis for future relationships). He also states that infants will form one bond that is more important than all others (Montrophy) and this is linked to the continuity hypothesis.
Being attached to someone means that you have formed an emotional relationship to that person. This is important thorough out our lives but particularly important during the vulnerable period of infancy when babies rely on caregivers to meet their needs (Cardwell, Clark & Meldrum, 2003). Forming an attachment to a primary caregiver is an innate behaviour and insures survival of the infant. This essay will describe and evaluate Ainsworth’s (1970) Strange Situation procedure and will discuss the types of attachments infant form. The psychologist John Bowlby (1969) suggested that infant attachments influence their emotional development through an internal working model which acts as a template for future relationships.
Bowlby believed that attachment behaviour was innate and had been passed down through evolution for the survival of the infant. They are born programmed to become attached and that adults are also programmed to attach to their infants. Certain behaviours called social releases encourage the bond. Social releases include smiling, crying, cooing, looking cute etc. they all make adults respond and bond with them.
Therefore, if there is no consistent caregiver over this period, it is highly unlikely that the baby will form an attachment. However, the amount of time adults spend with infants is not the only factor determining whether attachments will develop. The quality of the adult-infant interaction also becomes equally important. Accordingly, Bowlby believed that infants will develop an attachment to caregivers who have been associated over time with consistent, predictable, and appropriate responses to the infant’s signals, needs and desires (Lamb, Bornstein, and Teti,
We are all born with an inherited need to form attachments and this is to help us survive. He also said that attachments were irreversible- once they were made they could not be broken. * Babies are biologically programmed to form attachments. By doing cute things lie smiling, they form attachments with adults who look after them when they are most vulnerable, helping the baby survive. This is called social releasers.
Bowlby’s theory is an evolutionary approach to attachment. These attachment behaviours are displayed to ensure the survival of the infant. It is also an instinct for the parent to make an attachment. He states that infants are born with social releasers for example crying, smiling, a cute face with big eyes and a small nose. These social releasers encourage the care giver to provide care.
Discuss Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation 2/8/2012 Adele Nottingham John Bowlby was commissioned by the World Health Organisation after World War 2 to investigate the effects on children's development of being bought up by institutes rather than parents. It is impossible to study attachment and child development without considering Bowlby’s work. Attachment theory is the joint work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Ainsworth &Bowlby, 1991). Drawing on concepts from ethology, cybernetics, information processing, developmental psychology, and psychoanalysts, John Bowlby formulated the basic tenets of the theory. He thereby revolutionised our thinking about a child’s tie to the mother and its disruption through separation, deprivation, and bereavement.
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment (12 marks) Bowlby believed that the strong, emotional, reciprocal bong between an infant and its caregiver which is formed over time is part of an evolutionary behaviour and that human babies have an innate tendency to establish this bond with their caregiver which aids survival and reproductive potential. In his theory, Bowlby applied the principles of imprinting to human attachment but instead used the term attachment as this process in humans is much more complex and more of a social and emotional bond than imprinting. One of Bowlby’s main evolutionary ideas amongst his theory’s is that babies possess innate characteristics that encourage the caregiver to look after them which he called social releasing factors. This included things such as big eyes, little noses, rosebud mouths, crying and smiling which encourage the caregiver to look after them and according to Bowlby, mothers especially possess instincts designed to protect their baby from harm and to nurture them to ensure survival to reach maturity. Another important evolutionary concept in Bowlby’s theory was the idea of monotropy where infants form an attachment to one primary caregiver which is usually the biological mother.