More detailed summery about Bowlby's Attachment Theory

John Bowlby born in 1907 and died in 1990.  He was a psychoanalyst who says that mental health and behavioural issues begin from a small age. 

Bowlby’s theory relates to children’s attachments with their mother that forms automatically when they are born. This attachment helps them to survive.

Bowlby theory was influenced by Lorenz’s “Study of imprinting.” In his theory, Lorenz used ducklings with their mother to prove his theory. 

He believed that the attachment behaviour, came naturally at birth and with the feeling of closeness the attachment is immediately activated.

Most babies are born with a certain innate behaviour that’s called “Social Releasers” which help them become close with their mother or other attachment modes such as crying, smiling and crawling, which are part of specific behaviours.

Bowlby says that hypothesised, mother and baby can’t be without each other.

“Social Releaser” behaviour like crying and smiling, will attract those who are caring for the baby.  Not only feeding achieves attachment but also respect and care.

This type of attachment will continue working for a future relationship, so if something goes wrong during the earlier attachment, there will be future consequences.

Main Points of Bowlby’s Theory

1. A child by nature when born is needed to be attached to the caregiver.

Bowlby mentions that sometimes the baby is bonded with a specific person (normally it’s the mother) this is called “monotropy.”

 2. “A child should receive the continuous care of this single most important attachment figure for approximately the first two years of life.”

Up to 12 months, children are in a critical period.  Critical period, is a period during someone’s development.  If for some reason the mother abandon her child during the critical two year’ period, the child could go through long-term consequences, which could continue to affect  them till the age of 5.

Bowlby used the phrase “Maternal Deprivation.” Maternal Deprivation refers to separation or loss of their mother and the lack to form an attachment.

3. When there is a long Maternal Deprivation the consequences could be these

·                 Delinquency

·                 Reduced intelligence

·                 Increased aggression

·                 Depression

·                 Affection less psychopathy.

These children have “Affection less psychopathy.” Affection less psychopathy is when you have a lack of concern about others.  It’s hard for them to form a meaningful and lasting relationship.

4. Robertson and Bowlby in 1952 found that when there is a short-term separation from the caregiver it could lead to distress.

Robertson and Bowlby found that there are three stages of distress.

·                 Protest: When the parents are leaving, the child to stop them he/she cries, screams and protests angrily.

·                 Despair: After the protest stops, they will be calmer although still be upset.  The child refuses to have attention or care from others.

·                 Detachment: If the separation continues, they will start to engage again. I f the care giver returns, the child will reject him/her and show anger.

5. Bowlby in 1969 believed that the child’s attachment relationship with their primary caregiver leads to the development of an internal working model.

The internal working model is part of a framework that is created by mental representation like memories and expectations. This helps them understand the world, themselves and others.

Schore in 2000 believed that around the age of 3 this becomes a primary factor of a child’s personality and it can help them understand the world and future collaboration with others.

As Bowlby said in 1969 the primary caregiver is the main person for the future relationships due to the internal working model.

The “Internal Working Model” is separated into 3 main factors.

1.               A model of others as being trustworthy,

2.               A model of the self as valuable

3.               A model of the self as effective when interacting with others.

It is the internal working model that guide the children through behaviours and future relationship towards others.

Thieves study by Bowlby in 1944.

Bowlby believes that the first five years of a child are important due to relationship between the child and the mother and socializing.
When there is a failure to this primary relationship, it could lead the child to commit a crime, emotional and antisocial behaviour.

 Reference.

simplypsychology, 2007. Bowlby's Attachment Theory. [online] Available at: <http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html> [Accessed 14, January 2017].