Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Bowlby attachment theory strengths and weaknesses
Attachment infants case studies
Bowlby attachment theory strengths and weaknesses
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Bowlby attachment theory strengths and weaknesses
According to Bowlby’s attachment theory the relationships we have as adults are affected by the way we form attachments as babies. There are three different types of attachments form by babies. The first is the secure attachment. Babies that have a secure attachment feel safe even when their mothers leave them, because they are secure in the belief that they will be there when they need them. The second type of attachment is the anxious-ambivalent attachment. Babies that have an anxious-ambivalent attachment became nervous when their mothers left them and then rejected them when they returned. The third type of attachment is the avoidant attachment, babies with this form of attachment had little to no attachment to their mothers. These same three types of attachment can also be seen in our …show more content…
One of the micro perspectives is Lee’s styles of love, which was created by John Lee after interviewing several heterosexual men and women and reading romantic works of fiction and nonfiction. Lee’s perspective breaks love down into six separate categories. Relationships may be based on one or more of the following categories. The first is Eros, which is passionate love. The second is Storge, where we find mutual love, trust, respect and companionship. The next in Lee’s categories is Pragma, practical and sensible love. Ludus is the fourth category and it contains playful, casual, and carefree love. The fifth category, Agape is love that is kind, altruistic, and patient. The last of Lee’s categories is Mania, the type of love that is obsessive, intense, and possessive. The majority of relationships contain aspects of more than one category and the types of love we have can change over time and with different types of relationships. In Lee’s categories we can also see aspects of the types of attachments formed as babies. It is possible that those that fall in to the Mania category had anxious-ambivalent attachments to their
The attachment theory, presented by Mary Ainsworth in 1969 and emerged by John Bowlby suggests that the human infant has a need for a relationship with an adult caregiver, and without a subsequent, development can be negatively impacted (Hammonds 2012). Ainsworth proposes that the type of relationship and “attachment” an infant has with the caregiver, can impact the social development of the infant. As stated by Hammonds (2012), attachment between a mother and a child can have a great impact on the child 's future mental
In the LGBT community, they develop intimate relationships in the same stages as heterosexual couples however they resolve conflicts more positively. Due to them being in a relationship with the same-sex partner, they approach roles in a relationship and marriage using egalitarianism. We all give and receive love differently. Knox & Schacht discuss the different types of loves styles a person’s desires from their relationships such as ludic, pragma, eros, mania, storge, and agape. These different love styles also express how lovers can understand and relate to one
The influence of Bowlby’s attachment theory is relevant when dealing with transitions because it has informed people and practitioners about the importance of attachment and the key worker system. Bowlby’s attachment theory evolved to ensure children are protected and for their survival to be increased. Bowlby believed that a child’s first attachment is built quite early on and is normally formed with the mother. This relationship between the mother and the baby is the template for relationships in the future. It provides the child with an internal working model. If the child’s first attachment doesn’t have a positive effect then this can result in the child finding it difficult to form other attachments with practitioners, family members and friends. If the first attachment is secure and strong the child will be able to build relationships with other people without having a problem. According to Bowlby the cognitive development of the child is affected when early attachment is formed because it provides a secure base for exploration. Although Bowlby’s theory has a lot of positive aspects other theorists have research that disagrees with his work. Schaffer & Emerson
Juvenile delinquency has been an issue of the society since the colonial era. During this period, juvenile offenders were made to serve the same punishment as an adult. When the Juvenile Justice System process came up, it sees juvenile delinquency as an act and not a crime. The Juvenile Justice System is an act by the States to correct juvenile delinquency. The program can be viewed as a collection of correctional styles introduced to juvenile offenders in order to solve and prevent certain eventualities from reoccurring.
For example, Magai & Passman (1997) discovered a strong relationship between secure attachments and emotional well-being of middle aged adults, which extends to individuals later in life. Understanding the role of attachment and its psychosocial impact during later life is an important area that needs further research. In regards to TMT, close relationships offer security, protection, and give meaning to life (Mikulincer, Florian, & Hirschberger, 2003).
Mahler’s terminology of separation- individuation, and Bowlby attachment style, identify some differences between perspectives however, I believe that both theorist utilize essentials that place great emphasis on children’s early development and attachment behaviors, that contribute to adaptable adults (Goldstein, 1995). Furthermore, I believe that attachment theory places emphasis on a child's adaptive function, it helps the child experience maximum contact and closeness with his or her caregiver, this also contribute to patterns of behaviors, which may be less adaptive under different circumstances.
As a mother to three children under the age of 11 that have all went through severe separation anxiety, I picked the Attachment Theory. This theory was founded by John Bowlby and was proven with more empirical evidence by Mary Ainsworth. According to the article, “In 1969, Bowlby introduces the word “attachment,” which had never appeared before in his writing” (Pallini and Barcaccia, 2014). The attachment theory found that children are biologically imprinted to develop attachments to caregivers because of genetics. The attachment theory examines the long-term and short-term social relationships that people develop. Bowlby conducted a study with infants and mother’s interactions. Bowlby found that infants have built in mechanisms to make the parent want to attach to them. A few examples are; crying, cooing, smiling, and making sound. In Bowlby study he found that there were for parts to attachment. The first happens
Modifications of Bowlby's Attachment Theory Bowlby's original theory of attachment was concerned with the bonding relationship that develops between an infant and his primary caregiver. He believed the process of bonding to have a biological basis as the genes of those infants who successfully sought the protection of a caregiver (from predators and other dangers) will have survived and been passed on. Bowlby also formulated the Maternal Deprivation hypothesis (1953) which is associated with his theory of attachment and resulted from a study on delinquent boys. Bowlby found that many of these boys shared a history of institutionalised care and concluded that infants need to bond with and maintain a loving relationship with a mother figure, for good mental health. This recommendation came at a time when men had returned from the 2nd.
John 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, “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-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure, insecure/resistant, insecure/avoidant and disorganized/disoriented, later leading to research studies done to observe this behavior and how it affects a child in their adolescence and adulthood.
Some theorist agreed with Bowlby 's attachment theory and some did not. "In addition, attachment theory underemphasises the degree to which humans can self repair. Schnarch (1999) argues that while the drive for connection is powerful in humans, it is not as strong as the need for emotional self regulation and self preservation. Attachment theorists have ignored our capacity to stabilise ourselves and our strivings for autonomy, instead focusing on interaction and believing that all soothing must be internalised from others. He cites research suggesting that parents and infants are constantly moving in and out of “synch” with each other in terms of soothing. Babies soothe themselves when mismatches occur, and even break contact when they are overstimulated by a good connection. So we may in fact self regulate at the expense of connection. Attachment is not the dominant and overriding drive but only one among several including self control and self direction." The Limitations of Attachment Theory for Adult Psychotherapy, JONATHAN NORTON ⋅ JUNE 3,
John Bowlby (1969) defined attachment as a ‘lasting psychological connectedness between human beings’ (as cited in Sawyer, 2012) and formed the attachment theory to explain the importance of a good attachment bond between an infant and mother, for healthy human development.
Psychologist, Mary Ainsworth expanded upon Bowlby's original work. She conducted a study labelled the ‘Strange Situation’. In the study, based upon the children’s reactions, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Work by Stroufe and Waters in 1977, further supported Ainsworth's attachment styles and have indicated that attachment styles also have an impact on behaviours later in life (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Researchers have found strengths in attachment patterns established early in life can lead to a number of outcomes. For example, children who are securely attached as infants tend to develop stronger self-esteem and better self-reliance as they grow older. These children also tend to be more independent, perform better in school, have successful social relationships, and experience less depression and anxiety (Birns, 1999, p. 13).
There is evidence from other theorists who support Bowlby’s theory of attachment such as Harlow whose approach is based upon a caregiver’s sensitivity and attachment. Ainsworth is another theorist whose research supports Bowlby’s theory of attachment. In her strange situation study, she tested for the attachment types and what effects they had on a child’s behaviour. “Ainsworth and Witting (1969) devised the strange situation to be able to test the nature of attachment systematically” Cardwell, M. et.al (2000). They found three attachment types, secure attachment, insecure-avoidant and insecure –resistant. They found that the different attachments had different effects on a child’s behaviour. Bowlby’s theory talks about having a secure base whi...
Most people find that there is no one that knows you better than you know yourself. We know our hopes, wishes and dreams better than anyone else, even our own parents, and we know what we are willing to do to get them. I chose to write about myself for this very reason. I believe that I know myself well enough to be able to analyze myself and understand why I am the way that I am.
In conclusion, John Bowlby theory of attachment finds that a child will become attached to the primary caregiver based on the care that the child receives from the care giver (Berk, 2014). That attachment does not have to be the parent, but the person in the child’s life that gives that child the warmth and security it seeks. This bond may change as the child grows but the need for security will remain. In the event that a child does not have such a sense of security, the child may suffer from maladjusted behavior overall how the child engages in social situations later in life (Tayler, C., 2015 pp