John Bowlby & Mary Ainsworth Attachment Theory By: Alicia Colosimo and Kathryn McGuire

Who is John Bowlby?  Edward John Mostyn Bowlby.  Born February 26 th 1907 and died when he was 83 on September 2 nd 1990 in Scotland.  He was a psychoanalyst and psychologist  He was the 4 th of 6 children.  Came from an upper-class family and was raised by a nanny.

 His father was a surgeon  Only saw his mother for one hour per day.  His mother came from an upper-class family and believed that too much attention and affection would lead to “dangerous spoiling” of their children.  He was attached to his Nurse-Maid, Minnie who was his primary care taker. When she left, he dealt with a tragic loss, due to their Mother and Son like relationship.  Believed that mental health and behavioral problems could be attributed to early childhood.  The new nanny was cold, sarcastic, and was less nurturing leading to his interest later in life around attachment theory.

 His father went to war.  The father would write letters to his mother and she kept the letters from the children.  During this time, Bowlby had no contact with his father, other than once or twice a year.  During his childhood, his grandfather died, which was another theme for separation and loss, that was focused on later in his career.

 Bowlby started his career in medicine.  His father wanted him to follow his footsteps.  He was not interested in Anatomy and natural sciences.  During his time at college he became interested in developmental psychology.  He stopped studying medicine in his 3 rd year to focus on psychology.  He took a teaching opportunity for 6 months at a school called Priory Gates, he worked with maladjusted children.  Worked as a psychiatrist in a child guidance clinic in London. He treated many emotionally disturbed children, which lead him to consider the importance of a child's relationship with their mother in terms of their social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Who is Mary Ainsworth?  Born December 1 st 1913 in Glendale, Ohio and then died when she was 85 on March 21 st in Charlottesville, Virginia.  She was the eldest of 3 daughters.  She was an American & Canadian developmental Psychologist.  Her main interest were in the Attachment Theory.  She was an intelligent child and began to read at 3.  Both of her parents highly valued education and expected their children to have excellent academic achievements.

 She studied at the University of Toronto at the age 16.  She earned her Masters in 1936 and her PhD  She taught for a few years then joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in in WWII.  Her job was too administer clinical evaluation personnel assessment tests on the soldiers  Promoted to Advisor to the Director of personnel selection of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in Ottawa  After the war she returned to teaching and conducted research projects

 Married Lenard Ainsworth, the marriage lasted 10 years because of Lenard she had many work opportunities such as, meeting John Bowlby  Settled down at the University of Virginia in 1975  Became a professor until 1992  She received 3 awards based on her studies in child development

What did John and Mary do?  They developed The Attachment Theory  John developed how we think about a child’s tie to their mother and its disruption through separation, deprivation, and bereavement.  Mary formulated the concept of maternal sensitivity to infant signals and its role in the development of infant-mother attachment patterns.

What is Attachment Theory?  Attachment Theory is the strong, deep, close, relationship between two people. Mainly mother and child.  It can be based off of love and solidarity.  It can very from close relationship (i.e. friendship)  It studies how one responds with being in a relationship when hurt, separated or preserving a threat.  Attachment depends on a persons ability to develop trust and their care giver self.

 Infant: the child seeks a care giver when alarmed with the expectation of that they will receive perfection (i.e. love and comfort)  Infants need to develop a relationship with a primary care giver such as a mother.  This helps develop their social and emotional development and to regulate their feelings.  Mary and John developed this theory after studying patients who where children at a hospital.  Mary introduced the different pattern of attachment for how a child was cared for and how they were cared for in a different environment.  She made it possible to test some of John’s ideas. She expanded the theory herself and is responsible for some of the new directions that is now going. Had a role in the development of infant and mother attachment patterns.

1964 Study  They studied 60 babies monthly for the first 18 months of life. (longitudinal study)  The children where studied in their home. Their interaction with their care givers where observed, and the care givers where interviewed.  Babies showed separation anxiety after care giver left.  They discovered that babies attachments develop in four senses.  1) up to 3 months of age.  the new born will attach to any human. Most babies respond to any care giver at this stage.  2) after 4 month.  they develop a preference of certain people. Infants distinguish primary and secondary care givers but except care from any one.  3) after 7 months.  having special attachment for care giver, baby looks too certain people for security, comfort and perfection. They have stranger fear.  4) after 9 months.  several attachment. Baby is intendant.

4 different types of Attachment 1) secure attachment  When children show distress when care giver leaves. The children are able to compose themselves. 2) anxious ambivalent attachment  Children become very distressed when care giver leaves and are unable to compose themselves. 3) anxious avoidant attachment  Child will avoid their parents. They show no distress when parent leaves. 4) disorganize attachment  A lack of attachment behaviour.

What is strong about the Attachment Theory?  Children are securely healthier, tantrum less, and develop a conscience earlier.  As children get older they are more cooperative with parents, get along better with peers, learn faster at school, have higher self esteem, are more fixable and resilient under stress.  Increases your instinctive empathy for their child.  This helps parents to know what their child needs and how to respond to it, making parenting easier.

What is weak about the Attachment Theory?  Trying to control a child rather than setting limits, this can result in a rebellious uncooperative toddler.  Attachment parents often run into trouble by not realizing that parenting responsively in this stage. Means responding to long term as well as short term needs.  Over parenting can undermined kids trust in themselves.  Some parents make their decisions based on what attachment parents should do rather then what their kid(s) needs.

Where do we see Attachment Theory in real life?  The attachment theory comes into play in play school by seeing parents leaving their children at school  Most children are able to coop with their parents absence and continue to play. (avoidant/ disorganize attachment)  Joseph has been known to cry in the absence of his mother.  We think Joseph deals with anxious ambivalent attachment, he become very distress when his parent leaves and is unable to compose himself, therefore cries.

a)His mother b)His father c)His siblings d)His nanny Who Raised John Bowbly?

D) A nanny! Until age 7 when he was sent off to boarding school.

How many babies were observed in the 1964 case study? a) 10 b) 70 c) 55 d) 60

D) 60 babies

What is anxious avoidant attachment? a) When children show distress when care giver leaves. The children are able to compose themselves. b) Children become very distressed when care giver leaves and are unable to compose themselves. c) Child will avoid their parents. They show no distress when parent leaves. d) A lack of attachment behaviour.

C) When the child will avoid their parents. They show no distress when parent leaves.

Where did John and Mary develop the attachment theory? a)They worked at a summer camp b) They worked together at a hospital c) They worked at a school d) They worked at a day care center

B) They worked together at the hospital!

Thank You

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