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Bowlby's Attachment Theory

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discuss the characteristics of Bowlby's Attachment Theory. What are some examples in your own practices/ lives where you could see the components in the attachment model?

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John Bowlby's attachment theory states that a person becomes emotionally attached to the most prevalent person in his or her life during the early stages of growth and development as a child which is in contrast to the sexuality based view of Freudian psychoanalysts. In order to gain better perspectives consider this excerpt:

Bowlby originally explained this by analogy with the phenomenon of imprinting in which young birds will attach themselves to any mobile figure to which they are exposed at the 'sensitive period' in their development. Studies on primates suggest that imprinting does not occur in the same way as in birds, and that attachment, rather than being an all-or-none phenomenon, develops as a result of a gradual process of genetically programmed development and social learning. The fact that attachment is, in Bowlby's word, 'monotropic' - that is, occurs with a single figure, most usually the mother - has profound implications for psychological development and psycho-pathology throughout the life cycle. It is because of this marked tendency to monotropy that we are capable of deep feelings, for to have a deep attachment to a person (or a place or a thing) is to have taken them as the terminating object of our instinctual responses. (Bowlby 1988)

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****This work is not intended to be hand in ready, and it is advised that the student use the material in this posting as guidance and information for their original work****

John Bowlby's attachment theory states that a person becomes emotionally attached to the most prevalent person in his or her life during the early stages of growth and development as a child which is in contrast to the sexuality based view of Freudian psychoanalysts. In order to gain better perspectives consider this excerpt:

Bowlby originally explained this by analogy with the phenomenon of imprinting in which young birds will attach themselves to any mobile figure to which they are exposed at the 'sensitive period' in their development. Studies on primates suggest that imprinting does not occur in the same way as in birds, and that attachment, rather than being an all-or-none phenomenon, develops as a result of a gradual process of genetically programmed development and social learning. The fact that attachment is, in Bowlby's word, 'monotropic' - that is, occurs with a single figure, most usually the mother - has profound ...

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