John Bowlby Understanding his shadow or Why I
John Bowlby: Understanding his shadow …or, Why I dig Bowlby Daniel Berry Harvard Graduate School of Education November 18, 2005
Attachment Theory: Preface § Bowlby didn’t do it alone… § § § Mary Ainsworth Long-time colleague Developed the first Attachment measure (i. e. , the Strange Situation) § Her original ideas tightened many of Bowlby’s thoughts, particularly in regard to maternal sensitivity.
Attachment Theory: The basics… § Attachment: The enduring deep emotional bond between a child and a specific caregiver § Endogenous attachment system within child, selected in the course of evolution
Please memorize this very important model now. Bischof’s (1975) General systems framework for attachment behavior.
Attachment Theory: The basics… § Attachment: The enduring deep emotional bond between a child and a specific caregiver § Endogenous attachment system within child, selected in the course of evolution § Over time, interactions with caregiver facilitate an internal working model (IWM) of the relationship. § In turn, the IWM shapes the way children explore and interpret their worlds.
Bowlby: The beginning § Edward John Mostyn Bowlby born in London on Feb. 26, 1907 to Sir Major-General Anthony and Mrs. May Bowlby § His father was an eminent surgeon, war hero, and personal physician to King Edward § His mother was raised in an upper-middle class family § The Bowlby’s enjoyed a comfortable, Edwardian, upper-class lifestyle
Bowlby: Early life § John is one of six children and quite close his brother Anthony, 13 -months his elder § Typical family-life for their time and class: Raised by nannies, little contact with mom, and less with dad § At age 9, Bowlby and Anthony sent to boarding school (Lindisfarne). Bowlby’s opinion of boarding school: “…would not send a dog to boarding school at that age”
Bowlby: The academic spark § After short-stint in naval college, Bowlby heads to Trinity College, Cambridge § Enters as a med-student, concentrating on both natural sciences and the moral sciences (philosophy and psychology) § Finds himself drawn to psychology, which was largely dominated by Freudian thinking
Bowlby: The personal spark § Bowlby graduates and works in two progressive schools, Bedales and Priory Gate. § His interactions with children serve as the first spark for the notions of “separation” that would become Attachment Theory.
Bowlby: Finding himself § Med-School § Psychoanalytic Training – § Ph. D and work with the (in)famous Cyril Burt § The dissonance continues…
§ In Med-School Bowlby opened a Sandwich shop called Bogey’s Bar!
Bowlby: Tavistock § WW II begins, Bowlby serves as Army psychiatrist § Colleagues he meets during this time become the “invisible college” § Operation Phoenix and the Tavistock Clinic
§ John Bell, one of the first family therapists, devises a entire mode of therapy based on a mistaken understanding of Bowlby’s methods
Bowlby: Tavistock’s Dual-Mission § Bowlby is deep in his clinical work, but firmly agrees with the clinic’s creed, “No research without therapy; and no therapy without research” § The Separation Research Unit § The World Health Organization Report
Quick summary: § Bowlby as a kid who experiences separation with caregivers § Bowlby as a student who gets interested in child psychology through Freudian thinking § Bowlby as a teacher who notices the effect of separation on his students development § Bowlby as a psychoanalyst challenging some of the Freudian dogma § Bowlby as a researcher pursuing his interest in separation and pathology, yet still explaining mechanisms in Freudian terms
Bowlby: Birth of the cool § Bowlby discovers ethology § Raises the question of whether the formation of bonds between infants and caregivers is a product of evolution § If so, what might this speciesspecific system look like?
Bowlby’s Attachment & Loss Trilogy § Bowlby compiles both his and Ainsworth’s work on attachment into a grand theory of socio-emotional development § The theory was published across three volumes 1. Attachment (1969); 2. Separation (1973); and 3. Loss (1983)
Bowlby’s Attachment & Loss Trilogy § Humans genetically predisposed to actively construct attachment relationships § Attachment relationships are adaptive in that they facilitate a cognitive model based on ones’ specific ecological context § This adaptation to specific environments has survival value for individuals § Internal models serve as an adaptive guide for navigating the social world and, therefore, affect long-term developmental directories
Should we buy it? § Evolutionary arguments are hard to substantiate without archeological evidence… § Non-human primate and behavioral genetic research, does not contradict an evolutionary argument for attachment § Early attachment has been linked to a wide array of developmental outcomes (i. e. , achievement and socio -emotional)
Why should educators care? § Children learn in social contexts § They bring their attachment histories with them and, in turn, these influence the way children form new relationships with teachers and peers § Understanding these individual differences allows educators support children’s learning
Bowlby loved education! § “It is impossible to estimate the scope and value of work in education, work that has been touched on by most geniuses and has been taken for granted by fools. ”
References: Ainsworth, M. & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development. American Psychologist, 46(4), 333 -341. Bowlby, J. (1951). Maternal care and mental health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3 Loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books. Holmes, J. (1993). John Bowlby and attachment theory. London: Routledge. van Dijken, S. (1998). John Bowlby: His early life—a biographical journey into the roots of Attachment Theory. New York: Free Association books.
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