Bowlby's theory of attachment

Bowlby's theory of attachment

Key ideas:

• Attachment is an innate process, designed to maintain proximity. It evolved to ensure protection and increase survival.
• Early attachment is monotropic and is qualitively different from other attachments
• Sensitive Period: up to 2.5 years for the formation
• The relationship with the mother figure is the template for future relationships. It provides the child with an internal working model (the continuity hypothesis)
• Early attachment affects cognitive development as it provides a secure basis for exploration.

Key words:

• Survival: we have an inbuilt, biological attachment aim. Survival of a child is important to the mother (evoluton: to pass on genes)

• Biological/Evolutionary:to seek out parents. Babies look like their father so they know it's theirs to look after. Some animals imprint (chicks) we are more emotional but same…