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Attachment Theory: John Bowlby And Mary Ainsworth

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Attachment theory is the joint work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Additionally, Bowlby revolutionized society’s perception of the mother-child relationship and its’ disruption through separation, deprivation, and bereavement (Bowlby, 1969/1982). Bowlby (1969) suggested that the caretaker’s sensitivity in responding to an infant’s distress signals play a significant role in the development of attachment patterns. The literature review portion of the present thesis will highlight foundational components of attachment, developmental outcomes for attachment classifications, and furthermore will examine the effect of multiple caregivers on attachment development in infants and

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