Attachment theory and John Bowlby: Some reflections

Abstract

The 100^th anniversary of Edward John Mostyn Bowlby's birth (February 26^th, 1907) was celebrated at the Tavistock Clinic in London by his family and colleagues, with presentations of ongoing research as well as reflections on both the person and his theory. My own reflections include the influence of ethological thinking on the development of attachment theory, Bowlby's focus on observations followed by explanation, his appreciation of emotional communication as well as behavior, and his recognition of the role of the family as well as the child/caregiver dyad. While always remaining open to new avenues of research, John Bowlby was firmly insistent on the precise use of attachment terminology, and quite rightly too!

Keywords:

• Bowlby
• attachment theory
• psychological well-being
• emotional communication
• family patterns