Attachment theory

An Inuit family is sitting on a log outside their tent. The parents, wearing warm clothing made of animal skins, are engaged in domestic tasks. Between them sits a toddler, also in skin clothes, staring at the camera. On the mother's back is a baby in a papoose.
For infants and toddlers, the "set-goal" of the behavioural system is to maintain or achieve proximity to attachment figures, usually the parents.

Attachment theory is a psychological and evolutionary framework concerning the relationships between humans, particularly the importance of early bonds between infants and their primary caregivers. Developed by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby (1907–90), the theory posits that infants need to form a close relationship with at least one primary caregiver to ensure their survival, and to develop healthy social and emotional functioning.[1][2]

Key aspects of attachment theory include the observation that infants seek proximity to attachment figures, especially during stressful situations.[2][3] Secure attachments are formed when caregivers are sensitive and responsive in social interactions, and consistently present, particularly between the ages of six months and two years. As children grow, they use these attachment figures as a secure base from which to explore the world and return to for comfort. The interactions with caregivers form patterns of attachment, which in turn create internal working models that influence future relationships.[4] Separation anxiety or grief following the loss of an attachment figure is considered to be a normal and adaptive response for an attached infant.[5]

Research by developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth in the 1960s and 70s expanded on Bowlby's work, introducing the concept of the "secure base,” impact of maternal responsiveness and sensitivity to infant distress, and identified attachment patterns in infants: secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganised attachment.[6][7] In the 1980s, attachment theory was extended to adult relationships and attachment in adults, making it applicable beyond early childhood.[8] Bowlby's theory integrated concepts from evolutionary biology, object relations theory, control systems theory, ethology, and cognitive psychology, and was fully articulated in his trilogy, Attachment and Loss (1969–82).[9]

While initially criticized by academic psychologists and psychoanalysts,[10] attachment theory has become a dominant approach to understanding early social development and has generated extensive research.[11] Despite some criticisms related to temperament, social complexity, and the limitations of discrete attachment patterns, the theory's core concepts have been widely accepted and have influenced therapeutic practices and social and childcare policies.[10][12]

  1. ^ Cassidy J (1999). "The Nature of a Child's Ties". In Cassidy J, Shaver PR (eds.). Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications. New York: Guilford Press. pp. 3–20. ISBN 1-57230-087-6.
  2. ^ a b Abrams DB, Turner JR, Baumann LC, Karel A, Collins SE, Witkiewitz K, et al. (2013). "Attachment Theory". Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. New York, NY: Springer New York. pp. 149–155. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_939. ISBN 978-1-4419-1004-2. Bowlby (1969, 1988) described an attachment as an emotional bond that is characterized by the tendency to seek out and maintain proximity to a specific attachment figure, particularly during times of distress.
  3. ^ Brimhall AS, Haralson DM (2017). "Bonds in Couple and Family Therapy". Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 1–3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_513-1. ISBN 978-3-319-15877-8. Bond is an emotional attachment between one or more individuals. To be considered an attachment bond, the relationship must have four defining characteristics: proximity maintenance, separation distress, safe haven, and secure base.
  4. ^ Bretherton I, Munholland KA (1999). "Internal Working Models in Attachment Relationships: A Construct Revisited". In Cassidy J, Shaver PR (eds.). Handbook of Attachment:Theory, Research and Clinical Applications. New York: Guilford Press. pp. 89–114. ISBN 1-57230-087-6.
  5. ^ Prior & Glaser 2006, p. 17.
  6. ^ Bernard K, Meade E, Dozier M (November 2013). "Parental synchrony and nurturance as targets in an attachment based intervention: building upon Mary Ainsworth's insights about mother–infant interaction". Attachment & Human Development. 15 (5–6): 507–523. doi:10.1080/14616734.2013.820920. ISSN 1461-6734. PMC 3855268. PMID 24299132.
  7. ^ Bretherton I (1992). "The Origins of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth". Developmental Psychology. 28 (5): 759–775. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.28.5.759.
  8. ^ Hazan C, Shaver P (March 1987). "Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 52 (3): 511–24. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511. PMID 3572722. S2CID 2280613.
  9. ^ Simpson JA (1999). "Attachment Theory in Modern Evolutionary Perspective". In Cassidy J, Shaver PR (eds.). Handbook of Attachment:Theory, Research and Clinical Applications. New York: Guilford Press. pp. 115–40. ISBN 1-57230-087-6.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Rutter 95 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Schaffer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference BZL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).