John Bowlby's Theory Vs Attachment Theory

Upon the completion of My Virtual Child, I have changed part of my opinions on how parenting can influence developmental outcomes, behaviors, and potentially the future of a child. My Virtual Child enabled me to truly understand on how basic parenting decisions truly have long-term effects on child and potentially their futures. When I say long-term effects I mean a wide variations; the most surprising one of a all is not always the “best” decision is always the “right” decision and making all the “right” choices doesn’t guarantee your child will be successful. Being a parent, even in a virtual one requires a lot of time physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Although Bowen’s family systems theory, and Bowlby’s attachment theory are unique with their own thoughts and perceptions, both of the theories can also be taken as different viewpoints of the same human experience, specifically the development of relationship patterns and human attachment. Both theories touch upon the influence that unsolved problems in the parents may have on their children. Attachment theory focuses more on the infant’s first attachment, or primary attachment. This is usually between the mother and the infant. If the attachment is interrupted and the infant’s needs are not being met by the primary attachment, mother, this could adversely affect the infant’s cognitive and mental development as well as future attachments.

Attachment in early childhood is one of the most important ways that children develop and young children that are not given any attachment in early childhood can lead to major negative impacts that can affect them for the rest of their lives. We know that the first year of children’s lives impacts their development and learning as they grow. Caregiver’s can help infants and toddlers form attachments in various ways while they are in their care.

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1. My baby started walking and talking earlier than other babies. I know he will grow up to be a smart adolescent.

Babies are born with an innate ability to learn and their brain to develop after birth. The neural pathways of a human’s brain are built based on their early experience in the world. A baby’s world is based on how they are treated by people in it therefore if the environment is scary then the baby will be reluctant to explore, as demonstrated n Bowlby’s and Ainsworth’s attachment theory. The brain and body become wired enough to understand what is safe and what should be feared.

Sigmund Freud (1982) also known as the “Father of Psychoanalysis” claimed that the mother-child connection is an unconscious bond between the infant and the primary caregiver which becomes the dominant force for a pattern of behaviors throughout the infant’s entire lifespan. However, John Bowlby, a British psychologist, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst developed Freud’s claim further and introduced the attachment theory. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health “Attachment is one specific aspect of the relationship between a child and a parent with its purpose being to make a child safe, secure and protected. Attachment is distinguished from other aspects of parenting, such as disciplining, entertaining and

The parents are the most important thing in a child’s life. From the moment they open their eyes they are learning. One of the first things they see, hear, smell, and touch are their parents, children watch and learn from their parents. Children mimic their parent’s behaviour and actions.

There are four types of development, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social. Physical development is the growth of gross and fine motor, skills. Gross motor skills are walking, running, throwing, and crawling. Fine motor skills are writing, holding a fork, and using scissors. Physical development is also the easiest to see. Cognitive development is mental development. This development includes learning to recite the alphabet, recognize shapes and colors, problem solve, and use words and phrases. Emotional development is learning what feelings are and being able to recognize what they mean and why they happen. Social development is learning how to interact with other people. There are many things and situations that can affect any of these

Mary Ainsworth’s study on attachment theory continues to be widely discussed today. If a child has been mistreated by a primary caregiver, how does that affect the child? When a child is raised in an abusive household, it has an impact on the child’s life. What do they do? Where do they turn? If their primary caregiver is proven untrustworthy, who can the child trust? Furthermore, how does the child cope? The environment children are raised in has an immense impact on their lives. According to Ainsworth, “attachment refers to an affectional tie that one person forms to another specific individual… attachment is thus discriminating and specific” (Salande & Hawkins, 2016). Without an attachment to an adult, a child has no guidance or direction in life. Therefore, if a child grows up in an unstable family structure, this child is more likely to develop an insecure attachment style in adulthood. Attachment theory confirms the importance of human relationships and their consequences for individual development (Schneider, 1991). As one continues to grow into an adult, it is important to have one to look up to for guidance, no matter what the situation may be.

Children are the one who will shape our country's future, but how can they make a good future if they are not taken care of correctly? The influence of a parent on their child is extremely important, and a child’s development can move quickly, especially when they are young. Sometimes children are born into a bad home, and this can lead to setbacks and delays in a child’s growth. In addition, the government can sometimes get involved and remove children from these bad situations, but a lot of people don’t think that it is right. Some people think that the government is just making the child’s life worse, but this isn’t the case. Foster care is important and can benefit children mentally, emotionally, and physically.

While we talk of the middle child and their behavior perhaps Bowlby 's attachment theory could bring more insight as we look into life of the middle child earlier in their life. Bowlby believed that that mental health and behavioral problems could be attributed to early childhood. Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment suggests that children come into the world biologically preprogrammed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive. This attachment is primarily done with the mother and that humans have been actually developed a biological need to stay attached to the mother.

Attachment theory tries to describe the evolution of personality and behaviour in relationships and it gives a reason for the difference in a person’s emotional and relationship attitudes.

John Bowlby’s primary interest was in the relationship between child and mother or primary caregiver. Bowlby suspected that the earliest relationships formed by children and their primary parent or care giver, have huge impacts on the child’s later life. From this, Bowlby developed the attachment theory. The attachment theory referred to a