Evaluate Two Psychological Theories of Attachment and Discuss the Impact on Children and Adults of Disrupted Attachment and Separation.

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Evaluate two psychological theories of attachment and discuss the impact on children and adults of disrupted attachment and separation. Attachment can be defined as a close, emotionally and meaningful relationship between two people in which one seeks closeness with the other and feels more secure in their presence. (Oxford English dictionary 2011) Once an attachment is formed, a child will display a variety of behaviours. The aim of this essay is to evaluate two psychological theories of attachment and describe their place in the nature vs. nurture debate. Also this essay will discuss the impact on children and adults of disrupted attachment and separation. Bowlby’s theory of attachment is the idea that children form a two way attachment with their primary caregiver, and this relationship should be warm, intimate and continuous in order for the child to develop properly. Bowlby believed that the relationship between a mother or primary caregiver and their child was most crucial during the first 18 to 24 months of life and that is, was this time, which affected later socialisation. He also thought that there was a sensitive period in the first few years of life and if an attachment was not formed. In addition he suggested the idea of monotropy, which is the suggestion that infants tend to direct attachment behaviours towards a single attachment figure, and that there is one special bond and this is typically between a mother and its child. The attachment being two ways is very important, and Bowlby believed that both parties should find satisfaction and enjoyment from the relationship. He suggested that babies are born programmed to behave in ways that will make attachments easier to form, for example they will display behaviour that encourages attention from adults, these include smiling and cooing etc. These are known as social releasers because the point of

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