Bowlby - the Founder of Attachment Theory

'Attachment' can simply be described as one's emotional bond to another person. Psychologist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst John Bowlby (1969) was the first attachment theorist, describing attachment as 'psychological connectedness' between human beings that perseveres over time.

Bowlby believed that the relational bonds formed between a child and caregiver have great emotional and behavioural impacts that continue across the individual's lifespan. According to Bowlby, attachment also serves an evolutionary purpose - an infant's chances of survival are vastly improved if he or she keeps in close proximity to an 'attachment figure'.  

At the core of attachment is the notion that a mother or other caregiver can establish a sense of security by being available and responsive to an infant's physical and emotional needs. Infants who experience their caregivers as dependable are given a secure base to explore the world...