Origin of Attachment Theory Essay

Origin of Attachment Theory
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth were two prominent researchers who developed the theory of attachment in relation to human development.
The idea of the caregiver as a "secure base" for the child was proposed by Bowlby (1969), and that this secure base was either successfully created during childhood or was not. Bowlby (1969) proposed that children are born with an innate drive to form attachments with caregivers as a result to genetics. According to him, the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. Children who maintained proximity to an attachment figure were more likely to avoid danger and receive protection, and therefore more likely to survive to adulthood.
Later in 1970, Mary Ainsworth expanded greatly upon Bowlby's original work. Her famous study, known as the "Strange Situation" revealed the profound effects of attachment on behaviour. In the study, researchers observed children between the ages of 12 and 18 months as they responded to a situation in which they were briefly left alone and then reunited with their mothers.
Based on the responses the researchers observed, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Later, researchers Main and Solomon (1990) added a fourth attachment style called disorganized-insecure attachment based upon their own research.
Stages of Attachment Development
Attachment in infants develops in stages and each stage is characterized by specific infants' behavior. The first stage, known as Initial preattachment phase starts from birth and lasts about 3 months. Infants at this phase enjoy human company and shows indiscriminate attachment where they direct their attachment towards any person. As complete attachment has not formed yet, the baby is still comfortable being left with an unfamiliar person. They respond equally to any caregiver and get upset when an individual ceases to interact with them.
Attachment-in-the-making phase is the second stage in the development of attachment. It occurs at about 3 or 4 months and infants start to display preference for familiar figures, usually a primary caregiver. Attachment is strengthen during this stage where infants respond differently to preferred figures than to strangers. For instance, the infant smiles more at familiar faces and can be easily comforted by a regular caregiver than a stranger.
The third phase of attachment development occurs at about 6 or 7 months and is referred as Clear-cut-attachment phase. It is characterized by intensified dependence on the primary caregiver whom the infant seeks security, comfort and protection from. Infants generally want to be with their preferred caregiver as well as keeping the caregiver's attention on them at all times. Infant at this stage also begins to display fear of strangers (stranger anxiety) and uneasiness when separated from the primary caregiver (separation anxiety).
After approximately nine months of age, infants become increasingly independent and multiple attachments are observed in most babies. Several attachments are formed as infants usually have more than one adult caregiver. They normally form multiple attachments to the father