Personal Development Case Study

Although it is obvious that my ability to form and maintain attachments was affected, it is not so obvious to determine the long-term effects. Because early experience does not impact development in a linear way (Sroufe et al., 1999) both history and present circumstances are important (Sroufe, 2005). In fact, Bowlby’s model emphasises that behaviour is a function of an individual’s entire history; therefore change does not erase early experience (Bowlby, 1973). This means that even after significant change, there is a tendency for individuals to return to previous developmental trajectories (Bowlby, 1973). As such, the disruption to my development was merely that, a disruption, and through experience, I have learnt to form attachments again, therefore my development has returned to an adequate stage. As alluded to above, the reformation of my ability to create attachments, and therefore develop, had a learning component. The effects of deviant behaviour; in this case, those of my sister; on development are substantially mediated by social learning (Lee, Akers

Whilst attachment theory is considered a psychoanalytic theory, it is unique (Fongay, 2001). In fact, it is so unique that Holmes and Farnfield (2014) suggest that psychoanalysis and attachment are separate domains of activity, as the two disciplines have developed separately with distinct ways of conceptualising the issues children present with (Holmes & Farnfield, 2014). As discussed previously, they key aspect of attachment theory is how the emotional bonds of children are formed (Bowlby, 1978). Whilst a key aspect of both theories is the history of development (Bowlby, 1969; Freud, 1940), psychoanalytic theories are preoccupied with the inner worlds and the key components focus on the unconscious, fantasy, defences and processes such as projection (Holmes & Farnfield,