John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment to one caregiver
This essay will show how John Bowlby believed that one caregiver usually the mother is an important attachment figure and how there is a sensitive period of time to attach to the primary caregiver. He believed children have an innate drive to become attached because it has long term benefits, this innate drive ensures that infants stay close to the caregiver for food and protection. He believed there is a sensitive period for attachments to form, this was before the child turned 2 and a half years of age. The attachment is very important as this provides a secure base were a child can explore their surroundings, this is vital to make them independent. It’s important for the internal working …show more content…
Mary Ainsworth experiment called “strange situation” backs up Bowlby’s theory because she also said that children will have different patterns of attachment depending on how they experienced their early caregiving environment. They both also believed there is a sensitive period during which attachments will form if possible, but the time frame is broader and the effect was less fixed than first thought. Bowlby said that when separation is prolonged in the first 2-5 years of children’s life’s they will experience separation anxiety and after this they will feel loss and grief. At first the child will protest by crying but as the time frame of separation goes on the children will eventually withdraw and become detached from relationships. Clearly this will affect them to form future bonds, friendships and relationships as they go through life. (Sayers chp3 …show more content…
They also noticed that at around this age babies also start to show the fear of strangers. Shaffer identified three stages of attachment in infancy (. Shaffer mothering 1977) The first stage is that babies will be more attracted to humans than objects and will smile in response to faces and voices. Then stage two is that from a very early age babies can tell the difference between different people. Even at only a few days old babies know their mothers voice and by 2 weeks old they can match the mothers face to the voice. At this young age they do not mind being held by strangers. Then by 5-6 months of age the babies have developed firm attachments to the important/significant people in their life’s, they will want these peoples love and attention and easily show distress when they are separated from them. Now by this age they will be frightened of strangers and most definitely cry if approached by them. (The Perceptual World of the Child
This essay will show how John Bowlby believed that one caregiver usually the mother is an important attachment figure and how there is a sensitive period of time to attach to the primary caregiver. He believed children have an innate drive to become attached because it has long term benefits, this innate drive ensures that infants stay close to the caregiver for food and protection. He believed there is a sensitive period for attachments to form, this was before the child turned 2 and a half years of age. The attachment is very important as this provides a secure base were a child can explore their surroundings, this is vital to make them independent. It’s important for the internal working …show more content…
Mary Ainsworth experiment called “strange situation” backs up Bowlby’s theory because she also said that children will have different patterns of attachment depending on how they experienced their early caregiving environment. They both also believed there is a sensitive period during which attachments will form if possible, but the time frame is broader and the effect was less fixed than first thought. Bowlby said that when separation is prolonged in the first 2-5 years of children’s life’s they will experience separation anxiety and after this they will feel loss and grief. At first the child will protest by crying but as the time frame of separation goes on the children will eventually withdraw and become detached from relationships. Clearly this will affect them to form future bonds, friendships and relationships as they go through life. (Sayers chp3 …show more content…
They also noticed that at around this age babies also start to show the fear of strangers. Shaffer identified three stages of attachment in infancy (. Shaffer mothering 1977) The first stage is that babies will be more attracted to humans than objects and will smile in response to faces and voices. Then stage two is that from a very early age babies can tell the difference between different people. Even at only a few days old babies know their mothers voice and by 2 weeks old they can match the mothers face to the voice. At this young age they do not mind being held by strangers. Then by 5-6 months of age the babies have developed firm attachments to the important/significant people in their life’s, they will want these peoples love and attention and easily show distress when they are separated from them. Now by this age they will be frightened of strangers and most definitely cry if approached by them. (The Perceptual World of the Child