John Bowlby There is a great deal of research on the social development of children. John Bowbly proposed one of the earliest theories of social development. Bowlby believed that early relationships with caregivers play a major role in child development and continue to influence social relationships throughout life. What is Attachment? Attachment is a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care, and pleasure.
First, the formulation of Bowlby's theory will be explained. This will be followed by a presentation of research which enabled the discovery of different forms of attachment. Also factors influencing infant's internal working model such as parental sensitivity and association between early attachment, and later development as well as the concept of transmission of attachment will be discussed. Moreover changes to original theory in light of this research will be examined. According to Bowlby (1973) a strong emotional bond between the mother figure and the infant called attachment has the biological origin.
Bowlby argued that attachment was an "evolved mechanism;" an innate response that ensured the survival of the child. Bowlby argued that the first attachment between a baby and its caregiver provided the child with an internal working model. This is referred to as the continuity hypothesis and it gives the child an idea of themselves as lovable (or not) and of other people as trustworthy (or not.) Bowlby suggested the idea of monotropy in his attachment theory; the idea that an attachment to a single caregiver provides the experience of an intense emotional relationship and forms the basis of the internal working model; it is the schema a child has for forming future relationships, both socially and personally. He also described social releasers; sucking, smiling, crying and cuddling.
Bowlby's aim was to discover the consequences of difficulties in forming attachments in childhood, and the effects this would have on an infant's later development. Drawing on much work in the psychoanalytic literature, such as that of Freud and Harlow, Bowlby formulated the idea that infants develop a close emotional bond with an attachment figure early in life, and that the success or failure of this earliest of relationships lead the infant to form a mental representation that would have profound effects on their later relationships and their own success as a
(1) Outline any two theories of child development and discuss how they contribute to your understanding of the developing child. This essay will outline two theories of child development, and focus on how they contribute to understanding the developing child. * The process of emotional development is underpinned by attachment theory (Bowlby ’69 ’73’ ’80 ’88a’88b) Bowlby argued that the propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular adults is a basic component of human nature and is instinctive * Describe changes within areas of behaviour (e.g. language or socialisation) Describe changes in the relationships between areas of behaviour (e.g. language and socialisation) Explain the course of development according to these descriptions That is, a theory must account for the transitions from one point in development to another and must identify causal variables affecting transition * Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment.
John Bowlby’s theory of Attachment John Bowlby is an evolutionary psychologist within the filed of developmental psychology. His theory provides an evolutionary perspective towards attachment combining Freud’s views on the importance of the maternal care (psychoanalytic approach) and the ethnologists’ views on imprinting. Bowlby’s theory suggested that attachment is an innate and adaptive process. An infant is genetically programmed in a way for survival and has been ascribed skills such as sucking, grasping, crying: known as “social releasers”. Bowlby believed that a mother has similar genetic coding that allows her to react instinctive to, and respond to her infants needs.
“Attachment is an affectional tie that a person or animal forms between himself and another specific one- a tie that behinds that binds them together in space and endure over time.” –Mary Ainsworth. This ‘tie’ is one of which is based on emotions or feeling rather than any other need (such as bodily or cognitive needs). The bond that a mother and child share is displayed through the strong sense of attachment the child has to the mother and the severe distress the child undergoes when separated from its mother who acts as a secure base. John Bowlby was a British psychologist, Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who believed that behavioural problems may be strongly associated to earlier maternal attachments. He proposed a theory of continuation; individuals who are securely attached during infancy develop to be socially and emotionally competent in the future, on the other hand, insecurely attached children have more social and emotional difficulties later on in childhood and adulthood.
Furthermore, Vygotsky’s socioeconomic model is discussed, with emphasis on the role of language and the cognitive influence of parent-child tutoring interactions and more specifically scaffolding tutoring. Similarities and differences between the two central concepts are also a subject of discussion. Finally, some evidence for the impact of peer-to-peer relationships in toddlers is presented. Based on the existing literature the thesis of this essay is that intra and interpersonal processes are both influential when it comes to forming children’s social and cognitive skills. One of the fundamental theories in the field of social and cognitive development is that of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980).
Attachment is defined as a focused, enduring and emotionally meaningful relationship to somebody or something. Psychodynamic psychologists such as Bowlby & Ainsworth were interested at how early attachment affects later life. Considering these concepts was initiated by earlier studies on animals. Psychologists such as Harlow and Lorenz looked at how animals become attached and the effects on them if such a secure relationship is not formed. They made claims on the importance of such processes for psychological and social development.
Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment suggests that children come into theworld pre-programmed to form attachments with others as this will help them tosurvive. His theory consists of five clear factors that were linked to the developmentof attachment from an infant to its primary care giver; usually the mother. Firstly hestates that attachments are “adaptive” which means the child is at an advantageto survive as it ensures safety and food in order to reproduce. Bowlby states thatchildren are born with innate social releasers such as laughing, crying and attractivefacial features including big cheeks and large eyes which provide them with extracare and comfort. It is important for the infant to form a bond with its caregiverwithin a certain period of time, also known as the critical period.