John Bowlby and Attachment Theory - Essay Example

This is where the process of coming up with the attachment theory came in, he watched the behavior of the children keenly and how they behaved when they were left by their mothers (Rachel 78).

            This theory of attachment came to bring confusion with another theory known as the behavioral theory of attachment which Dollard and Miller had come up with in the year 1950. The theory underrated the bond between a child and a mother. The behavioral theory stated that the child became attached to the mother for the reason that the mother fed the child. Bowlby suggested that attachment was adaptive and it plays a major role in the survival of the child. He said that infants feel the need to be close to the people who take care of them when they are stressed up. The stages of attachment go by the age of the child. When the child is 3 months old most children respond well to all people that take care of them this is referred to as indiscriminate attachment. for 4 months there is a preference for certain people. 7 months preference to a specific person and after nine months there are multiple attachments where the baby becomes independent (Jerry 249).