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ATTACHMENT THEORY
John Bowlby believed that humans, like other
species, were predisposed toward relational experiences that satisfied an
instinctual need for security (Bowlby, 1980, 1982, 1988).
- By providing sensitive and consistently
reliable care, parents foster a sense of security in the child, which in turn
promotes exploration, curiosity, adaptive regulation of emotion, and the
development of positive mental representations of others as available and
of the self as worthy of care.
- Conversely, insensitive and/or inconsistent
care engenders anxiety and distrust. Of even more serious consequence,
prolonged or permanent separation or abusive treatment from an attachment
figure can seriously injure and fragment the individual's sense of self.
A central tenet of attachment theory is that the way attachment behavior
becomes organized as a strategy for relating to others is carried forward and
profoundly influences subsequent close relationships (e.g., parent-child, romantic, clinical alliance), personality and mental health (Bowlby, 1980).
For those of you unfamiliar with attachment theory, I highly recommend:
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Robert Karen's (1998) Becoming Attached, which provides a historical introduction
to attachment theory and is both easy and entertaining to read.
- Those of you
familiar with the theory, but wishing for more in-depth coverage of specific
areas in the field, I refer you to Cassidy and Shaver's (1999) Handbook of Attachment.
- Click on Helpful Links for a list of additional research labs working with attachment theory.
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