Attachment Theory: Key Concepts
Attachment theory is a psychological theory that attempts to describe
the nature and dynamics of relationships and bonds between people,
particularly long-term relationships, including those between parents
and children as well as romantic partners. However, attachment
theory is not intended to be a general theory of relationships but
attempts only to address a specific aspect of it, that is, how human
beings respond in relationships when hurt, separated from loved ones,
or perceiving a threat.
In particular, attachment theory focuses more on making sense of the
way in which children have been shaped and reshaped by some
forces around them. Hence, attachment theory attempts to address
questions relating to 1) the reason why children behave the way they
do, 2) the factors that affect their ability to form meaningful and
satisfying relationships with those around them, especially their
parents, and 3) the factors that contribute to their experiences of
anxiety, avoidance, and fulfillment in terms of relationships.
How does attachment theory describe and explain behavior?
One of the best ways to answer this question is to refer to the seminal
work of John Bowlby, a famous British child psychiatrist and
psychoanalyst, on the effects of separation between infants and their
parents.
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
John Bowlby developed his model of attachment theory while working
as a psychiatrist in a child guidance clinic in London in the 1930s.
During his stint there, Bowlby had conducted studies on child
delinquents and hospitalized children with the attempt to understand
the separation anxiety and distress that children experience when
separated from their primary caregivers, most especially their parents.
The results of his studies had led him to examine the negative effects
of maternal deprivation, a situation in which the mother was either
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, non-responsive or absent for a long span of time during the first two
years of the child’s life. Among the most important findings that he had
discovered is the idea that children are born with an innate drive to
form an attachment with their parents or their primary caregivers.
Thus, when children, for instance, are frightened, they will normally
seek proximity to their primary caregivers (usually the mother) in order
to receive both comfort and care.
Indeed, the result of Bowlby’s study is groundbreaking in the sense
that it stands in contrast to classic approaches to attachment which
believed that the goal of attachment was the satisfaction of needs,
most particularly food. Hence, for Bowlby, attachment is characterized
by clear behavioral and motivational patterns. In other words,
attachment for Bowlby is primarily determined by nurturance and
responsiveness and not by food and other material needs.
Now, for Bowlby, the earliest bonds that children form with their
parents have tremendous impacts on their development, which
continues throughout their life. For this reason, the failure of children
to develop a close relationship with one main figure, usually the
mother, will have negative impacts on their life, such as causing a
decline in intelligence, depression, aggression, delinquency, and
affectionless psychopathy, a situation wherein one is not concerned
about the feeling of others. For sure, the quality of attachment has a
critical impact on development and has been linked to various aspects
of positive functioning, such as psychological wellbeing. In fact, at the
core of attachment theory is the idea that primary caregivers who are
available and responsive to a child’s needs allows the latter to develop
a sense of security. This is because the child knows that the caregiver
is dependable which then creates a secure base for the child to freely
and confidently explore the world.
Four Phases of the Development of Attachment
Bowlby described four phases in the early development of attachment,
namely: 1) Pre-attachment (newborn to 6 weeks), 2) Attachment in
making (6 weeks to 6-8 months), 3) Clear cut attachment (6-8 months
to 18 months), and 4) Formation of reciprocal relationship (18 months
2|Page
Attachment theory is a psychological theory that attempts to describe
the nature and dynamics of relationships and bonds between people,
particularly long-term relationships, including those between parents
and children as well as romantic partners. However, attachment
theory is not intended to be a general theory of relationships but
attempts only to address a specific aspect of it, that is, how human
beings respond in relationships when hurt, separated from loved ones,
or perceiving a threat.
In particular, attachment theory focuses more on making sense of the
way in which children have been shaped and reshaped by some
forces around them. Hence, attachment theory attempts to address
questions relating to 1) the reason why children behave the way they
do, 2) the factors that affect their ability to form meaningful and
satisfying relationships with those around them, especially their
parents, and 3) the factors that contribute to their experiences of
anxiety, avoidance, and fulfillment in terms of relationships.
How does attachment theory describe and explain behavior?
One of the best ways to answer this question is to refer to the seminal
work of John Bowlby, a famous British child psychiatrist and
psychoanalyst, on the effects of separation between infants and their
parents.
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
John Bowlby developed his model of attachment theory while working
as a psychiatrist in a child guidance clinic in London in the 1930s.
During his stint there, Bowlby had conducted studies on child
delinquents and hospitalized children with the attempt to understand
the separation anxiety and distress that children experience when
separated from their primary caregivers, most especially their parents.
The results of his studies had led him to examine the negative effects
of maternal deprivation, a situation in which the mother was either
1|Page
, non-responsive or absent for a long span of time during the first two
years of the child’s life. Among the most important findings that he had
discovered is the idea that children are born with an innate drive to
form an attachment with their parents or their primary caregivers.
Thus, when children, for instance, are frightened, they will normally
seek proximity to their primary caregivers (usually the mother) in order
to receive both comfort and care.
Indeed, the result of Bowlby’s study is groundbreaking in the sense
that it stands in contrast to classic approaches to attachment which
believed that the goal of attachment was the satisfaction of needs,
most particularly food. Hence, for Bowlby, attachment is characterized
by clear behavioral and motivational patterns. In other words,
attachment for Bowlby is primarily determined by nurturance and
responsiveness and not by food and other material needs.
Now, for Bowlby, the earliest bonds that children form with their
parents have tremendous impacts on their development, which
continues throughout their life. For this reason, the failure of children
to develop a close relationship with one main figure, usually the
mother, will have negative impacts on their life, such as causing a
decline in intelligence, depression, aggression, delinquency, and
affectionless psychopathy, a situation wherein one is not concerned
about the feeling of others. For sure, the quality of attachment has a
critical impact on development and has been linked to various aspects
of positive functioning, such as psychological wellbeing. In fact, at the
core of attachment theory is the idea that primary caregivers who are
available and responsive to a child’s needs allows the latter to develop
a sense of security. This is because the child knows that the caregiver
is dependable which then creates a secure base for the child to freely
and confidently explore the world.
Four Phases of the Development of Attachment
Bowlby described four phases in the early development of attachment,
namely: 1) Pre-attachment (newborn to 6 weeks), 2) Attachment in
making (6 weeks to 6-8 months), 3) Clear cut attachment (6-8 months
to 18 months), and 4) Formation of reciprocal relationship (18 months
2|Page
