Attachment Theory

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Topic:BOWLBY`S ETHOLOGICAL THEORY OF ATTACHMENT


















Development of Attachment during the first two years
Genetic and Influences of Attachment

  Excelsior College
Associate in Nursing
























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Topic:BOWLBY`S ETHOLOGICAL THEORY OF ATTACHMENT

Introduction

Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across

time and space (Bowlby 1969).Mother/child attachment is a strong emotional bond that develops

between infants and their mothers, thereby providing   infants with emotional security. By the second

half of the first year, infants have become attached to familiar faces especially their mothers,who  

respond to their needs for physical and emotional care.

Attachment may or may not be reciprocal. It is possible for one person to have an attachment
with an individual which is not shared. Attachment is characterized by specific behaviors in
children,like seeking proximity with the attachment figure when they are   upset or threatened (Bowlby,
1969). Attachment behavior in adults towards the child includes being sensitive to the child’s need and
responding appropriately to it. Such behavior is culturally universal.
Bowlby`s Ethological theory of Attachment

Attachment theory provides an explanation for how the parent-child relationship emerges and

influences subsequent development. Attachment theory in psychology originates with the seminal work

of John Bowlby (1958). In the 1930’s John Bowlby worked as a psychiatrist in a Child Guidance Clinic

in London, where he treated a lot of children with emotional problems. This experience led Bowlby to

consider the importance of mother/child relationship   in terms of their social, emotional and cognitive

development. This experience shaped Bowlby`s   belief about the relationship   between early infant

separations with the mother...