"The most important tenet is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development."
The theory that early childhood relationships with parents or caregivers shape later relationships and social development.
Attachment styles: The four different styles of attachment (secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized) and how they develop in early childhood.
Attachment figures: The primary caregivers who provide a sense of safety, comfort, and security to infants and young children.
Attachment behaviors: The observable behaviors that infants and young children use to maintain their attachment to their caregivers, such as clinging, following, and crying.
Separation anxiety: The distress that young children experience when separated from their attachment figures, which serves as a natural protective mechanism to keep them close.
Internal working models: The cognitive and emotional schemas that children develop based on their early attachment relationships, which help shape their expectations and beliefs about relationships in adulthood.
Trust and mistrust: The foundation of attachment relationships is built on the trust and security that infants develop with their caregivers, which has a profound impact on their emotional and social development.
Secure base: The idea that infants and young children rely on their attachment figures as a safe and secure base from which to explore and learn about the world.
Caregiver sensitivity: The degree to which caregivers are attuned and responsive to their children's needs, which is a critical factor in building secure attachment relationships.
Attachment and mental health: The impact of attachment relationships on mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.
Attachment and relationships: The influence of early attachment experiences on adult romantic relationships, friendships, and other social relationships.
Attachment interventions: The different interventions and treatments that are used to address attachment-related issues, including attachment-focused therapy and parenting programs.
Attachment in diverse populations: The influence of culture, race, and gender on attachment relationships and development.
Evolutionary perspectives on attachment: The evolutionary roots of attachment behaviors and how they contribute to survival and reproduction.
Neurobiological aspects of attachment: The brain structures and processes that are involved in attachment relationships, including the stress response and the attachment system.
Attachment and resilience: The role of secure attachment relationships in promoting resilience and mitigating the negative effects of stress and adversity.
Secure Attachment: This type of attachment occurs when an infant feels confident and secure in their parents' presence. They are comfortable exploring their environment, knowing their parent is nearby and available if they are needed.
Ambivalent Attachment: Children with this type of attachment are often clingy and fearful of exploration, yet they become distressed and angry if their parent leaves. They may seem anxious and clingy upon their parent's return but will resist contact.
Avoidant Attachment: Infants with this type of attachment seem indifferent toward their parents, preferring to play by themselves. They do not seek their parent's comfort or contact when distressed and may reject or avoid them.
Disorganized Attachment: Children with this type of attachment display a lack of coherence and organization in their behavior. They may exhibit a mixture of avoidant and ambivalent behavior or seem dazed and confused in their parent's presence. This attachment type is often associated with trauma or inconsistent parenting.
"The theory was formulated by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby."
"Infant behaviour associated with attachment is primarily the seeking of proximity to an attachment figure in stressful situations."
"Infants become attached to adults who are sensitive and responsive in social interactions with them, and who remain as consistent caregivers."
"During the latter part of this period, children begin to use attachment figures (familiar people) as a secure base to explore from and return to."
"Parental responses lead to the development of patterns of attachment; these, in turn, lead to internal working models which will guide the individual's feelings, thoughts, and expectations in later relationships."
"Separation anxiety or grief following the loss of an attachment figure is considered to be a normal and adaptive response for an attached infant."
"She introduced the concept of the 'secure base' and developed a theory of a number of attachment patterns in infants: secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and anxious attachment."
"A fourth pattern, disorganized attachment, was identified later."
"Bowlby published the full theory in the trilogy Attachment and Loss (1969–82)."
"Bowlby explored a range of fields, including evolutionary biology, object relations theory, control systems theory, ethology, and cognitive psychology."
"In the early days of the theory, academic psychologists criticized Bowlby."
"Attachment theory has since become the dominant approach to understanding early social development."
"Later criticisms of attachment theory relate to temperament, the complexity of social relationships, and the limitations of discrete patterns for classifications."
"Attachment theory has formed the basis of new therapies and informed existing ones."
"Its concepts have been used in the formulation of social and childcare policies to support the early attachment relationships of children."