Bowlby's Attachment Theory Essay Example

Everyone has somebody that has been with them since they were young. For me, I have been with my sister ever since I can remember.  Being with my her has caused me to grow up idolizing her, and I’ve started to act similarly to her. I’m lucky enough to have had her as my influence. Considering that I always stuck around her, I can say she is one of the most important figures in my life, and I think she affected my life for the better. This brings me to introduce the quote, “We do as we have been done by,” meaning we will treat others how we are treated, and we will do what those around us do (John Bowlby). Bowlby’s Attachment Theory highlights this idea that we do as we have been done by. This theory suggests that children are born into the world biologically pre-programmed to form connections with others. These connections are important in a child’s development at a young age. I chose this theory to analyze because I think that personally I was affected by how I was treated as a child, and there are plenty of other children still developing that are also affected by their attachments with others. This specific theory is important for us to know about because our connections with younger children and how we treat them can affect them later in life.  

The History of the Attachment Theory 

John Bowlby: Background and Biography 

John Bowlby graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1928, after learning much about developmental psychology. After college, “Bowlby performed volunteer work at a school for maladjusted children while reconsidering his career goals,” where he had experiences with two different children (Bretherton, 1992). One teenager without a stable mother figure, and another who was the “shadow” of Bowlby. He was able to observe how their childhoods affected their actions and behavior. These experiences inspired him to start his career as a child psychiatrist. He then went under the tutelage at the British Psychoanalytic Institute, where he learned about the Kleinian (Klein, 1932) approach to child psychoanalysis. In a theoretical paper, Bowlby states, “Having once been helped to recognize and recapture the feelings which she herself had as a child and to find that they are accepted tolerantly and understandingly, a mother will become increasingly sympathetic and tolerant toward the same things in her child,” indicating his interests in “helping children by helping parents” (Bowlby, 1940, pg.23; Bretherton, 1992).   

Bowlby’s Early Studies 

Bowlby’s first empirical study included the examination of 44 cases of maladjusted children, who were mostly affectionless and prone to stealing. He was able to, “link their symptoms to histories of maternal deprivation and separation,” proving his theory for child development correct (Bretherton, 1992).  

After World War II had ended, Bowlby was invited to become the lead of the Children’s Department at the Tavistock Clinic, renaming it to the Department for Children and Parents due to his early ideas on the significance of connections with family in child therapy.  

The Attachment Theory: How it was used in the past compared to today 

The definition of attachment is “a deep and enduring bond that connects one person to another person across time and space,” which links to the development of children (Mcleod, 2009; Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969). The attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. It proposed that “attachment can be understood within an evolutionary context in that the caregiver provides safety and security for the infant,” because many people overlook the importance of the bond between the mother and the child (Mcleod, 2009; Bowlby, 1958). The thing that determined the attachment created was not food, but care and responsiveness, as shown in Harlow’s monkey experiment, where he compared how a baby monkey reacted between a food mother, and a caring mother (Mcleod, 2009; Harlow, 1958). Bowlby proposed that a child would form a primary attachment, the monotropy, and this connection would act as a beginning relationship for all future social relationships.  

How the Attachment Theory should be used today 

It is said that “isolation and separation or disconnection from an attachment figure, is inherently traumatizing,” which is something that many parents consider today (Johnson, 2002). Authors Mikulincer, Shaver, and Pereg state that “researchers should examine the conditions under which secondary attachment strategies work sufficiently well to avoid severe psychopathology,” hinting that a malevolent relationship at a young age can cause psychopathic activity once grown up. This is evident in the world of criminology, as many serial killers, child traffickers, and more grew up in a bad household. With this knowledge, we should be sure to treat young children in a way such that we would want them to treat others in the future. For example, my sister was quite hostile towards me, in a playful way, and as a result I am quite hostile towards my friends and anyone who might be younger than me. There are many other instances in which we can see that our caregiver's behavior influences our own. Although this may seem like you have to treat a child by giving them a lot of attention, and only being nice and caring, it really depends on their unique personalities. From a young age, my mom would always scold me for bad grades, which is why I work hard to get good grades today.  

The Attachment Theories Importance 

The attachment theory is definitely still relevant today, and many other parents or caregivers should know about it.  One could argue that it isn’t as crucial in a child’s development compared to Frued’s Psychosexual Development Theory, or Erikson’s Psychosocial Development theory, but it is apparent that the Attachment theory is very major in a child’s development as well. This theory is being practiced in many households today, where parental figures balance the right amount of care and “hostility” for them to be able to have good social relationships in the future, but also be able to fend for themselves in the future.  

Summaries 

In conclusion, the attachment theory is an idea that the attachments in which are created at a young age greatly affect the child’s personality in the future, and even how they could act in future relationships. Since younger children’s minds aren’t fully developed, they’re the most influenced by what they see. They simply say what they hear, and do what they see. This is why our relationships with younger children are the most important.  

What I learned about myself 

Writing about this specific theory allowed me to learn more about myself, and why I am who I am. I was able to look back at all of my past relationships with my family members, my friends, and even my past teachers, and how they all affected me, for the better or the worse. I learned that my flaws are not just part of my personality, but really an effect of my experiences as a child.  

How my view of the world changed 

Although my overall view of the world didn’t change much, my view on society did. It makes me wonder if the bad people out there are really at fault for how they turned out. This newfound information sparked a hope that parents will treat their kids well enough for them to turn out to be good people later in their lives. It also makes me wonder if the parents of criminals should also be punished for their child’s actions. Although I’m not saying that criminals shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions, I think that the guardians of the criminals should also be held accountable if they taught them poorly, such as abuse or sexual assault.  

How I will apply this information to my experiences in the future 

Now that I know that the way I treat others can affect the way they act or think, I will make sure to be wiser with my words and actions, especially around children. If I do have children in the future, I will definitely research how to handle them with enough care so that they grow up to be independent and able to treat others nicely. This specific topic interests me a lot, so I hope that in the future I will be able to conduct more researches based on it, and maybe help influence and inform others on Bowlby’s Attachment Theory.