The Blueprint of Love: Origins of Attachment Theory

Attachment theory, one of the most influential theories in developmental psychology, was originally developed by British psychoanalyst John Bowlby in the 1950s. Bowlby, who had worked with emotionally disturbed children, proposed that the need for a strong emotional and physical attachment to at least one primary caregiver is a basic human need, crucial for personal development. He described this as a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings." [1] Bowlby's work was groundbreaking because it departed from the then-dominant psychoanalytic view that saw attachment as a secondary drive related to feeding. Instead, he argued that attachment is an innate, biological system that evolved to ensure the survival of the infant. An infant who is securely attached to a caregiver is more likely to be protected from danger and to have a secure base from which to explore the world. This early work laid the foundation for understanding how our first relationships shape our expectations and behaviors in all future relationships.