Bowlby’s Attachment Theory Essay example - 1156 Words

Bowlby’s attachment theory has greatly influenced practice. His theory of attachment explains the importance of having a figure that the child shares a strong bond with. Having an attachment can significantly support a child’s development as Barbara Woods suggests that â€Å"his theory of attachment proposed that attachment is innate in both infants and mothers, and that the formation of this attachment is crucial for the infants development† Wood, B (2001, p.53). Bowlby believed that forming an attachment will help a child develop in all areas e.g. emotionally, physical and mentally. However if they did not form an attachment in the sensitive period, the child may have issues or problems in their cognitive, emotional and social development.†¦show more content†¦If any problems occur to the child, they can return to their secure base which is their key worker, who can offer them comfort. Although key workers are not there for children who have not formed an attachment with their parents, they are they to offer support and comfort. The strength of Bowlby’s approach is that it has introduced the key worker system, which has helped a great deal with supporting children’s needs and development. Key workers can track their progress and plan and implement activities which promote their development. While working at my last year’s placement in a nursery setting, I was informed that each child had a key worker assigned to them. I observed that when parents would leave their children, some would cry and get upset, the key worker would then take them aside and comfort them or try to distract them. Having the key workers there for them made the child more emotionally secure. His theory has also influenced other child care practices such as hospitals. Parents are now able to stay with their children due to understanding their emotional development can be disrupted if their attachment figure is not with them through a difficult period of their life when they need support. â€Å"Parent’s were encouraged to be with the child in hospital: nursing care and the ward itself became child-centered† Wood, B (2001, p.60). Some research states that children need to have a good relationshipShow MoreRelatedBowlbys Theory Of Attachment1378 Words   |  6 PagesBowlby (1969) and his theory of attachment: An example of an extreme nature theorist is Bowlby (1969) and his theory of attachment. Bowlby believed that all mental health and behavioural problems could be linked to early childhood health. Bowlby’s theory suggests that all children are biologically pre-programmed to form relationships and attachments with others before they are even born for survival and that the fear of strangers in babies and young children represents an important survival mechanismRead MoreBowlbys Attachment Theory And Attachment1274 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Simply Psychology, Bowlby’s attachment theory says an individual can have an attachment with someone that is not shared. Attachment is characterized by behaviors in children such as seeking proximity with their attachment figure when upset. Bowlby’s experiments led him to see the importance of a child and mother relationship. (Saul McLeod, 2009) With more research later came four phases of attachment. Phase one is from birth to two months, this stage is where babies seek comfort, andRead MoreBowlbys Attachment Theory Essay1943 Words   |  8 PagesBowlbys Attachment Theory Findings form animal studies were a powerful influence on Bowlbys thoughts. He suggested too that there was a critical period for the development of attachments between infant and care giver. According to Bowlby infants display an innate tendency to become attached to one particular individual. He called this monotropy. He suggested this tendency was qualitatively different from any subsequent attachment a child might form. However, heRead MoreJohn Bowlbys Theories of Attachment Theory949 Words   |  4 Pagesdo not develop in a void or as â€Å"individual monads† but as members of interacting systems. 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Bowlby also formulated the Maternal Deprivation hypothesis (1953)Read MoreJohn Bowlbys Attachment Theory Essay2161 Words   |  9 PagesJohn Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, â€Å"from the cradle to the grave† (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infantRead MoreLearning Theory Of Attachment And The Other Being Bowlbys Evolution Theory1692 Words   |  7 Pageslater life. Attachment theories are studied and the effect of no attachment or disrupted attachment is studied and aimed to be resolved. John Bowlby defined attachment as the emotional and physical connection that makes two people stay close to o ne another. It is between children and their primary caregivers (Psychologistworld.com, 2016). This essay will discuss and evaluate two theories of attachment: one being Dollard and Miller’s learning theory of attachment and the other being Bowlby’s evolutionRead MoreJohn Bowlbys Path to Developing the Attachment Theory Essay593 Words   |  3 Pagesmany different theories on this subject, but a well-known theory is the Attachment Theory written by John Bowlby in the mid-twentieth century. John Bowlby born on February 26, 1907, was a twentieth century psychologist who contributed too many modern day psychoanalytic theories. At a young age he hardly saw his mother due to the fact that she believed, like many other mothers at that time, affection and attention would lead to spoiling of the child. So he developed a deep attachment to his nanny sinceRead MoreHow Has Bowlby’s Original Formulation of Attachment Theory Essay example2374 Words   |  10 PagesBowlby’s (1946) original formulation of attachment theory drew upon both psychoanalytic and ethol ogical theory and generated a significant amount of subsequent research. The core principle behind Bowlby’s theory was that the formation of a stable, healthy attachment with a caregiver in the early years of life is the key for an infants’ future emotional, social and cognitive development. Bowlby explained that this primary attachment relationship develops because infants need a mechanism to ensureRead MoreBowlbys Theory of Attachments854 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Bowlby’s Theory Attachment is a strong and emotional bond that develops over time between two individuals that is reciprocal. 1. THE THEORY * Bowlby’s theory suggests that attachment is evolutionary and is needed to aid survival. * He did observational research to link orphans with psychological damage. * Babies are helpless and rely on adults. They make instinctive decisions because they haven’t actually learnt anything yet. Bowlby said that babies must be genetically programmed