Lecture Notes on John Bowlby and Attachment Theory

Introduction

• John Bowlby: Influential in education, parenting, child care, and psychology.
• Advised the World Health Organization.
• Founder of Attachment Theory.

Background

• Born in London, 1907, to an upper-middle-class family.
• Father was a surgeon to the king's household.
• Raised by a nanny, only saw mother for an hour a day.
• Early experiences influenced his work in child psychology.

Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

• Evolutionary Perspective: Attachment as an innate behavior aiding survival.
• Adaptive: Attachment focuses on biological needs and protection from dangers.
  • Example: Rooting reflex helps with breastfeeding.
• Social Releases: Infant behaviors/signals that draw in adult attention.
  • Examples: Smiling, cooing, gripping hand.
• Critical Period: Timeframe for forming attachment (up to 2.5 years old).
  • Lack of attachment leads to social, emotional, and intellectual issues.
• Monotropy: Importance of one primary attachment, usually with the mother.
• Internal Working Model: Template for future relationships based on the primary caregiver.

Supporting Evidence

• Animal Studies:

  • Lorenz (1935): Demonstrated instinctive attachment and a critical period with goslings.
  • Harlow: Showed importance of attachment formation in monkeys.

• Human Studies:

  • Hazan & Shaver (1987): Love Quiz showed correlation between early attachment and adult relationships.

Challenges to Bowlby's Theory

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964):

  • Proposed multiple attachments rather than one special attachment.
  • Evidence from cultures with multiple caregivers.

• Criticism:

  • Socially sensitive: Emphasizes burden on mothers, neglects father's role.

Conclusion

• Bowlby’s impact on child development is significant.
• Mary Ainsworth expanded on Bowlby’s ideas with her own research on attachment.

Further Exploration

• Mention of Mary Ainsworth’s work and its significance in the field of attachment.