John Bowlby
Attachment Theory: John Bowlby
Background
- John Bowlby was a British psychoanalyst who tried to explain the
intense distress experienced by infants who had been separated from their parent
- His Attachment Theory was further developed by Mary Ainsworth
- The Theory describes the dynamics of long –term relationship
between humans especially as in families and life-long friends
- The theory was published across three volumes:
1. Attachment
2. Separation
3. Loss
Key Concepts
- Attachment: An enduring emotional tie to the special person,
characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain closeness, especially during
times of stress.
- Attachment in the context of children: The enduring deep
emotional bond between a child and a specific caregiver.
- Separation produces extreme distress in children
- There are significant long-term adverse effects on the children
as a result of even relatively brief separations.
- Theory emphasizes the role of the mother in child’s development,
where father plays the second fiddle to the mother.
Stages:
1. Phase of limited discrimination (birth-2 months)
- Baby’s innate
signals attract caregiver
- Caregivers remain
close by when the baby responds positively
2. Phase of limited preference (2-7 months)
- Develops a sense of thrust that a caregiver will respond
when signaled
- Infants respond
more positively to familiar caregiver
- Babies don’t
protest when separated from parent
3. Phase of focused attachment and secure base (7-24 months)
- Babies display
separation anxiety
- Babies
protest when parent leaves
4. Phase of goal-corrected partnership (24-36 months)
- Children increase
their understanding of symbols and language improves
- Children
understand that parents will return
Reference:
Attachment Theory (Online) at http://www.currentnursing.com
Accessed: September 13, 2016
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