Parent/ Caregiver- infant attachment

Parent/ Caregiver- infant attachment

1. Biological foundations of attachment:

   • Bowlby focused on what he considered to be the universal biological endowment of humans derived from the natural history of mankind
   • Bowlby argued that in the savannah grasslands where humans evolved, being close to a caregiver was vital for protection and survival
   • He noted that infants behaved in a certain way when the caregiver left (crying, temper tantrums)
   • If these behaviors were unsuccessful, the infant would become dispondant
   • If the caregiver did not return the infant would become detached and displayed coping and independence

2. Reciprocal attachment behaviors:

   • Attachment behaviors - particular behaviors exhibited by an infant with the purpose of gaining proximity to the caregiver , thus ensuring survival
   • Signaling - behaviors such as vocalizing, crying, designed to bring caregiver to the infant