Attachment

Introduction

Children are attached, if they tend to seek proximity to and contact with a specific caregiver in times of stress arising from factors such as distress, illness, or tiredness (Bowlby, 1984). Attachment is a major developmental milestone in the child's life, and it remains an important issue throughout the lifespan. In adulthood, attachment representations shape the way adults [Page 102]feel about the strains and stresses of intimate relationships, including parent-child relationships, and the way in which the self in relation to important others is evaluated. Attachment theory is a special branch of Darwinian evolution theory, and the need to become attached to a protective conspecific is considered one of the primary needs in the human species. Attachment theory is built upon the assumption that children ...