The aim of attachment theory has largely been to explain how relationships with parents in childhood have such a persistent effect on personality development. The focus of attachment theory has subsequently been extended from child to adolescent and adult development and social relationships within the context of both contemporary personality and social psychology. Attachment has
The concept of attachment was introduced into psychiatry and psychology by John Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst whose major books appeared between 1969 and 1980. Like many psychoanalysts, beginning with Sigmund Freud, Bowlby was interested in the early childhood roots of later personality patterns, including psychological disorders. But instead of focusing on imagined instincts, such as
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a complex psychological condition with profound implications for school psychology. This article delves into the multifaceted nature of RAD, beginning with an exploration of its etiology and risk factors, including attachment theory and early-life influences. It proceeds to elucidate the clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria, emphasizing the critical role of
The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), developed by Mary Main and associates, has been identified as an effective, psychometrically sound instrument with which to measure an individual’s internal working model or state of mind regarding childhood attachment. The potentially detrimental influences of poor recall, social desirability, and naive lying associated with self-report measures of childhood attachment
Attachment theory provides a useful theoretical framework for understanding how relationships function to facilitate or hinder developmental progress, such as progress in career development. A central tenet of this theory concerns the central role of attachments as enduring emotional bonds of substantial intensity that influence healthy development and participation in satisfying relationships. Regularities in interactions
Very few topics in the field of human development have garnered as much attention as the nature and significance of the parent-child relationship. The theoretical approach to parent-child relationships that has generated the most extensive research, social policy changes, and controversy is attachment theory. At the core of attachment theory is the premise that early
Attachment Theory Definition An attachment refers to the strong emotional bond that exists between an infant and his or her caretaker. The attachment theory is designed to explain the evolution of that bond, its development, and its implications for human experience and relationships across the life course. Although attachment theory has primarily been a theory