"Attachment theory was developed by psychoanalyst and psychiatrist John Bowlby throughout the 1950s. He observed that children form an internal working model of relationships based on early attachment experiences with their primary caregiver and the latter's availability and responsiveness. Bowlby theorized that attachment behaviors are instinctual and evolved to promote the survival of infants. Disruptions in early attachments (like separation, neglect, or abuse) can make it difficult for a child to feel safe, seen, or soothed in relationships."
"Psychologist Mary Ainsworth later expanded on Bowlby's work in the 1970s, introducing the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to identify attachment patterns through observing infant behavior in controlled environments. Based on research by Ainsworth and others, such as Mary Main 1, there are four main attachment styles that refer to different patterns of emotional bonds and attachment processes that influence human development and future relationships. They are generally characterized in the following basic ways:"
John Bowlby proposed that infants form internal working models of relationships based on early caregiver availability and responsiveness, with attachment behaviors evolving to promote infant survival. Disruptions such as separation, neglect, or abuse impair a child's sense of safety and lead to protective strategies like emotional shutdown, heightened vigilance for rejection, or fear and confusion around intimacy. Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation Procedure to observe attachment patterns, and research, including Mary Main's work, identifies four main attachment styles that shape emotional bonds, regulation, expectations, and the course of later relationships.
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