By: Julia Seward, Maddie Redifer John Bowlby By: Julia Seward, Maddie Redifer

Biography- John was born on February 26, 1907 in London. He was one of six children, mainly raised by his nanny, which he developed a parental relationship with. He didn’t have much interaction with his mother and his father had died in war. Once his nanny moved away it left young John Bowlby beginning to feel a sense of loss. Then at age seven he was sent to boarding school, and later argued boarding school was harmful to his well-being. Once Bowlby was a young man he decided to follow his father's footsteps and become a surgeon but never had a full interest in anatomy or natural sciences. He soon discovered what Developmental psychology was and then his interest spiked.

Why He’s Important- He introduced the “ attachment parenting” theory Bowlby taught parents around the world that having a connection with your children is very important to their growth This theory encourages parents to practice developing secure, stable, relationships by breast feeding, frequent physical contact, and co-sleeping

His Research- Before Bowlby's finding many children were suffering from loneliness, depression, and aggression. He found that without a strong mother child relationship, children become more aggressive. He believed that attachment behaviors were inherent survival mechanisms designed to protect an infant or child from predators. Children who were securely attached to reliable caregivers, according to Bowlby, were more likely to survive into adulthood.

Real Life Examples- I have a half brother who is 3 years old. He has spent more time around my mom then he has my stepdad, so he is much closer with my mom. Based on John Bowlby’s theory this is because my mom spent the first three months of his life with him all day everyday, attending to his needs such as, feeding, bathing, and changing diapers. Proving that the mother role in a child’s life is very important.

Bowlby's Attachment Theory- Asocial (0-6 Weeks)- Very young infants are asocial in that many kinds of stimuli, both social and nonsocial, produce a favourable reaction, such as a smile. Indiscriminate Attachments (6 Weeks- 7 Months)- Infants indiscriminately enjoy human company and most babies respond equally to any caregiver. They get upset when an individual ceases to interact with them. From 3 months infants smile more at familiar faces and can be easily comfortable by a regular caregiver.

Specific Attachments (7-9 Months)- The baby looks to particular people for security, comfort and protection. It shows fear of strangers and unhappiness when separated from a special person. Multiple Attachments (10 Months and Onward)- The baby becomes increasingly independent and forms several attachments. By 18 months the majority of infants have form multiple attachments.The results of the study indicated that attachments were most likely to form with those who responded accurately to the baby's signals, not the person they spent more time with.

Offspring and Opinions- John Bowlby only had one child named Richard and it definitely seems to have proven that his child development ideas can be correct. We both collectively agree that his understanding of child development and his Attachment Theory are correct and can have a big impact on how a child may grow up.

Sources- http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/john-bowlby.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115616/ http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bowlby