Attachment Theory

Attachment theory is used to describe and explain the affectional bond that is formed between infants and their caregivers and is used to understand how people trust and depend on others or avoid doing so. This emotional bond is seen as key to the survival of infants and to the emotional and relational health of infants, children, and adults. Attachment theory was created by John Bowlby, a British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, in the 1950s and later expanded by the Canadian American psychologist Mary Ainsworth and others. The quality of the emotional bond (categorized as either secure or insecure) of child to parent influences the infant’s later development of emotional regulation, social skills, and parenting skills. These skills and ability (or inability) to see people and ...