Bowlby's Attachment Theory
Developmental psychology is concerned with human growth throughout the lifespan of an individual. Including how our characteristics change throughout our lifespan including horizontal and vertical relationships. Horizontal relationships are formed between people of the same age or the same status, whereas vertical relationships are attachments to those who have greater knowledge or social power e.g. a child and their parent. Schaffer (2007) stated that both horizontal and vertical relationships influence development in later life as vertical relationships provide children with security and protection enabling them to gain knowledge and skills whilst horizontal relationships have important contexts for development and learning. In this study
…show more content…
The central subject of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. This allows the infant to know that the caregiver is dependable, which in return creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world. Bowlby also explained how early relationships would provide an Internal working model. Bowlby believed that this first relationship forms a schema that gives the child a feel for what a relationship is. The child then uses this in future years to develop other relationships and is important in determining the parenting skills in later life. For example, an individual who was deemed as being securely attached when they were a child has led them to have greater emotional and social stability as an adult, whereas an insecure attachment is most likely to lead to difficulties with later …show more content…
It includes a set of questions exploring how adults described their childhoods mainly on the form of communication. Individuals with a secure and autonomous attachment style were able to acknowledge the importance of relationships and talk freely in depth about their past and present attachments whilst showing feelings, motives, and influences on the self. This illustrates Bowlby’s idea that open communication is one of the trademarks for secure attachment and that secure individuals have better integrated internal working
The central subject of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. This allows the infant to know that the caregiver is dependable, which in return creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world. Bowlby also explained how early relationships would provide an Internal working model. Bowlby believed that this first relationship forms a schema that gives the child a feel for what a relationship is. The child then uses this in future years to develop other relationships and is important in determining the parenting skills in later life. For example, an individual who was deemed as being securely attached when they were a child has led them to have greater emotional and social stability as an adult, whereas an insecure attachment is most likely to lead to difficulties with later …show more content…
It includes a set of questions exploring how adults described their childhoods mainly on the form of communication. Individuals with a secure and autonomous attachment style were able to acknowledge the importance of relationships and talk freely in depth about their past and present attachments whilst showing feelings, motives, and influences on the self. This illustrates Bowlby’s idea that open communication is one of the trademarks for secure attachment and that secure individuals have better integrated internal working