Bowlby s Theory Of Attachment - 2197 Words

The aim off this assignment is to demonstrate my knowledge on Bowlby’s theory of attachment by been able to apply it to Neil from the programme 56 Up. In this assignment I will be analysing Neil’s life and explaining his transition from child hood to adolescent with the help of Bowlby life course theories. Throughout this assignment I will be using an adequate amount of literature to support my statements. I ve decided to concentrate on Neil from the programme 56 Up, the reasoning behind this is that Neil s life ended up being maybe the most unpredictable of the group. During the show we witness Neil transition from a happy seven year old who had big aspiration to go to Oxford University (56 Up, 2012) to make a future for himself to him†¦show more content†¦As Neil always had ambition to be in politics it was no surprise that by the time of 42 up he was involved in politics, as a liberal Democrats in the London borough of hackney (56 Up, 2012) . As the programme progressed we saw Neil relocate to the North West of England to become a District councillor. When the programme came to an end we were able to see Neil become less agitated and much more jubilant. The theory of attachment was originally developed by John Bowlby (1907 – 1990), a British psychoanalyst. Bowlby’s explanation of attachment hints that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with other, because this will avail them to survive. According to Bowlby, crying, clinging and searching our behaviours displayed by infants as a result of separation from their primary caregiver and a response to re-establish proximity. Bowlby proposed the idea of monotropy, this is when an effective emotional bond is formed between an infant and one particular individual. Bowlby suggested that there is a critical period for attachment to be formed between an infant and caregiver. This means that if an attachment is not formed priority to the first two years of infancy it would not be possible to form an attachment after this period. Thus meaning that the child will suffer irreversible long-term consequences as a result of maternal deprivation. Bowlby used the term maternal deprivation to refer to theShow MoreRelatedBowlby s Theory Of Attachment Theory1644 Words   |  7 PagesBowlby s Attachment Theory Findings from animal studies were a powerful influence on Bowlby s thoughts. He suggested too that there was a critical period for the development of attachments between infant and care giver. According to Bowlby, children display an innate tendency to become attached to one particular individual. He called this monotropy. He suggested this trend was qualitatively different from any subsequent attachment a child might form. However, he did not suggest monotropy was absoluteRead MoreBowlby s Theory Of Attachment1255 Words   |  6 PagesAttachment refers to an affectional bond; a bond which is exclusive to an individual and cannot be exchanged to another. A particularly important bond is the emotional one between an infant and its primary care giver. When it comes to attachment it is often said that it is either down to nature or nurture. Nature is the belief that it is genetic based whilst nurture believes it is our environment and experiences. Bowlby focuses on the evolutionary argument for attachment. Bowlby’s theory can beRead MoreJohn Bowlby s Theory Of Attachment1439 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Bowlby and his theory of attachment plus criticisms and how these come into effect in practice and legislation. Edward John Mostyn Bowlby was born February 27th 1907 and died September 2nd 1990. He was born in London to a middle class family. He was mostly taken care of by his nanny because his parents believed that spending too much time with him could lead to him becoming a spoilt child. At age 7 he was sent to boarding school by his parents. After finishing boarding school Bowlby went onRead MoreBowlby s Theory Of Attachment1441 Words   |  6 Pagesmonths old there was not much attachment present, however he would smile at familiar people and toys, and was able to laugh at surprising or funny things indicating that he was comfortable with new situations and was developing awareness of his surroundings. Later on Noah recognized me as his primary caregiver because I was the one always tending to his needs. When he was upset, anxious, or troubled he preferred me over anyone else. According to Bowlby’s theory of attachment â€Å"The infant knows that theRead MoreBowlby s Theory Of A ttachment1431 Words   |  6 PagesPerhaps the most influential explanation of attachment was presented by John Bowlby who began developing his ideas in the 1940s. Bowlby was commissioned by the World Health Organisation to investigate whether young children were likely to be harmed if they are separated from their mothers in the early years. (Hayes, 1996). Bowlby (1951) reported that infants possesses an innate need to attach to one main attachment figure (this was usually the mother). According to Hayes (1996), this is a specialRead MoreBowlby s Evolutionary Theory Of Attachment1497 Words   |  6 PagesBowlby defined attachment as â€Å"a lasting psychological integration bounded by human beings† (Bowlby, 1969, p.194). However, attachment can also be described as a strong, mutual, emotional connection or relationship formed between two people, mostly between infant and its caregiver. According to Macoby (1988) attachment has four key characteristics which are: proximity; where an infant always want to stay near the attached caregiver. Separation anxiety; is when the infant is distressed when separatedRead MoreJohn Bowlby s Theory Of Attachment1423 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Bowlby’s theory of attachment asserts that an infant forms an attachment to the primary caregiver to ensure survival. Developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth furthered this idea by devising attachment styles in infants. Ainsworth believed that the quality of care given by the mother or primary caregiver results in the infant developing a secure or insecure attachment. Ainsworth identified three attachment styles, namely; secure, avoidant and anxious/ambivalent attachments. As the word infersRead MoreJohn Bowlby s Theory Of Attachment1581 Words   |  7 Pagesin the prenatal development, infancy and childhood, as new-borns develop into young adulthood capable of becoming a parent themselves. This assignment will discuss the developmental stage of a chosen child scenario and apply to John Bowlby’s theory of attachment. It will also discuss the key safeguarding issues within the child scenario and how they could have been prohibited. Scenario The chosen child scenario for this assignment is Paul (see appendix). Paul is six years of age and is the middleRead MoreThe s Container / Contained Theory And Bowlby s Attachment Theory Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pagesintentionally. This directly impacts the victim s safety and sense of trust. The devastating effects of this type of trauma is the way in which it impacts not only the survivors, but also future generations, and the ability they have to form attachments (Connolly, 2011). This report outlines the importance of Bion’s container/contained theory and Bowlby’s attachment theory in developing secure relationships. Sadly, abused infants form a disorganised attachment style which causes them as adults to adaptRead MoreJohn Bowlby And Mary Ainsworth s Attachment Theories1196 Words   |  5 Pages John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth s attachment theories derive from the idea that in early development infants develop different attachment behaviors in relation to their caregivers. This emotional bond between an infant and their parents can have an enduring impact on future relationships throughout an individual s life. Research has shown that there does not have to be a biological component for an infant to bond with a parent. Instead the bond or attachment is related to â€Å"quality and quantity†