Attachment Theory

Attachment theory is a concept in developmental psychology and was defined by Schaffer (1993) as ‘A close emotional relationship between two persons characterised by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity’. Also, Maccoby (1980) describes the four characters of attachment:

1. Seeking proximity - the desire to be close to the person to whom you are attached. 2. Separation anxiety - the distress that results from being separated from that person. 3. Pleasure when reunited - relief and observable joy when reunited with them. 4. General orientation of behaviour towards the caregiver - the child’s awareness of where the person is, and the reassurance they feel by them being close.

Harlow’s monkeys (1959): The origins of love.
Harry Harlow used rhesus monkeys in his research into learning and noticed that many of the young monkeys kept in isolation became distressed when he cleaned out their cages. It seemed that the monkeys were forming an attachment with the sanitary towels he used to line the base of the cages.

Harlow carried out a number of variations using sixteen young isolated monkeys. Some were kept in cages with both a wire surrogate mother and a softer one covered in Terry cloth whilst others were kept in cages with just one. Sometimes the monkeys would be fed by the wire mother and other times by the softer cuddlier mother. However, the important variation was the one with a monkey in a cage with a wire mother that provided food and a Terry cloth mother that didn’t (providing the monkey with a choice; food or comfort). Harlow noticed that the monkeys would spend most time clinging to the cloth mother and occasionally feeding from the wire mother. When the monkeys were stressed by a mechanical toy banging a drum the monkeys would always run to the cloth mum for safety suggesting an attachment. Also