34 Facts About Attachment theory

Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans.

The Attachment theory was formulated by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby.

Later criticisms of attachment theory relate to temperament, the complexity of social relationships, and the limitations of discrete patterns for classifications.

Attachment theory has been significantly modified as a result of empirical research, but the concepts have become generally accepted.

Attachment theory has formed the basis of new therapies and informed existing ones, and its concepts have been used in the formulation of social and childcare policies to support the early attachment relationships of children.

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The Attachment theory proposes that children attach to carers instinctively, for the purpose of survival and, ultimately, genetic replication.

Nothing in the theory suggests that fathers are not equally likely to become principal attachment figures if they provide most of the child care and related social interaction.

Attachment theory-related behaviours lose some characteristics typical of the infant-toddler period and take on age-related tendencies.

Attachment theory system used by adolescents is seen as a "safety regulating system" whose main function is to promote physical and psychological safety.

Attachment theory was extended to adult romantic relationships in the late 1980s by Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver.

Attachment theory styles are activated from the first date onwards and impact relationship dynamics and how a relationship ends.

Attachment theory formulated the innovative proposition that mechanisms underlying an infant's emotional tie to the caregiver emerged as a result of evolutionary pressure.

Attachment theory set out to develop a theory of motivation and behaviour control built on science rather than Freud's psychic energy model.

Bowlby argued that with attachment theory he had made good the "deficiencies of the data and the lack of theory to link alleged cause and effect" of Maternal Care and Mental Health.

Attachment theory did not apply the imprinting concept in its entirety to human attachment.

Ethologists expressed concern about the adequacy of some research on which attachment theory was based, particularly the generalization to humans from animal studies.

From early in the development of attachment theory there was criticism of the theory's lack of congruence with various branches of psychoanalysis.

Attachment theory stressed the survival value of natural selection for this ability.

Biggest challenge to the notion of the universality of attachment theory came from studies conducted in Japan where the concept of amae plays a prominent role in describing family relationships.

Principles of attachment theory have been used to explain adult social behaviours, including mating, social dominance and hierarchical power structures, in-group identification, group coalitions, membership in cults and totalitarian systems and negotiation of reciprocity and justice.

Attachment theory has often been applied in the discipline of criminology.

Attachment theory found that 14 of the thieves were "affectionless characters" distinguishing them from others by their lack of affection, no emotional ties, no real friendships, and having "no roots in their relationships".

Attachment theory noted that delinquents of an 'Affectionless Character' were far more likely to steal in a persistent and serious way than are delinquents of other types.

Attachment theory has been used to identify differences between these two trajectories.

Since early childhood relationships can influence interpersonal relationships throughout the lifespan, attachment theory has been applied in research into particular crimes, particularly those which tend to occur within close relational ties.

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Attachment theory security has been found to strengthen one's ability to cope with stress, anxiety, and maintain that, in turn, can contribute to the person's well-being and mental health For example, previous studies have demonstrated that individuals who demonstrate avoidance attachment styles experiences less stress and distress when presented with ostracism.

Attachment theory has implications in residence and contact disputes, and applications by foster parents to adopt foster children.

Increasingly attachment theory has replaced it, thus focusing on the quality and continuity of caregiver relationships rather than economic well-being or automatic precedence of any one party, such as the biological mother.

Attachment theory has been crucial in highlighting the importance of social relationships in dynamic rather than fixed terms.

Attachment theory can inform decisions made in social work, especially in humanistic social work, and court processes about foster care or other placements.

The attachment theory focused on the attention of the child when the mother is there and the responses that the child shows when the mother leaves, which indicated the attachment and bonding of the mother and the child.

Attachment theory to be viable, it must be believed that attachment behaviour is strongly affected by one's environment.

Attachment theory suggests the idea of an all-encompassing label to describe one person, but a 2013 study from Utah State suggests an individual can have different attachment styles in relation to different people.

Attachment theory, some argue, represents a Western middle-class perspective, ignoring the diverse caregiving values and practices in most of the world.