The term attatchment refers to a bond between a baby and its primary caregive which usually relates to its mother. This is thought to be a bond which is pre programmed into an adult reflecting its intention to care for a baby (Bowlby 1969). He believes following extensive studies, one being theories relating to attachment (Ref 2) that it is imperitive for a child to experience positive attatchments as a baby they will demonstrate this behavious in adulthood and form health attatchments throughout their lives providing they have recived this from their mother within the critical period whichis deemed by Bowlby (1969) as being from birth to two and a half years of age. Floowing Bowlby’s research (Ref 2) he determined relationships bewtween mother and baby would nset a template for future relationship attatchments.
Bowlby (1969) conducted extensive research relating to the importance of attatchment (Ref 2). He formed the belief and opinion that attatchment is demonstrated and quoted the phrase “from cradle to grave” (Bowlby 1984). This interpratued was thought to mean from when a baby6 is born until it becomes an adult and dies. He included in this particular study in order for an individual to develop a secure attatchment bond throughout their lifespan it is of high importance for them to have had experinced this bond with the mother. Bowlbly belived a lack of attatchment is irrevesable and the damaged caused would manif4est itself in the childs behaviour in later ife resulting in the child highly likely to sufer from “afectionless physchopathy” (Bowlby 1969).
Subesquently a further study of the attatchment theory was performed as an extension of Bowlby’s study (Ref 2) but Mary Ainscough and Bell (Ref 1). This study focused on one hundred middle class infants and mothers. It was conducted in a controlled enviorment were infants were observed thro9ugh two way