John Bowlby’s attachment theory as an alternative to psychoanalytic concepts of the early social-emotional development of a child

Abstract

In modern pedagogy, attachment is one of the key concepts
that describes a child’s attitude towards an adult. The
phenomenon of attachment is a deep emotional bond that
arises between a child and an adult as a result of
communication and close interaction. Attachment is an
individually directed stable emotional attitude, the basis of
which is the experience of an affectively saturated relationship
of a child with a close adult (usually a mother or a person who
replaces her). As a result of interaction with parents, the child
forms cognitive ideas about himself and others, an internal
working model, patterns of interaction. It is shown that the
primary working model, which is formed on the basis of primary
attachment, is the basis of the personality development.
The article analyzes in detail the methodological aspects of
J. Bowlby’s theory of attachment, its relationship with
psychoanalysis, ethology, systems theory and cybernetics.
Special emphasis is placed on the psychoanalytic origins of
psychoanalytic theory.
The staged sequence of attachment formation in J. Bowlby’s
concept is explained: 1) indecipherable reaction to people;
2) focusing attention on familiar people; 3) intense attachment
and active search for closeness; 4) partnership behavior. Signs
by which attachment disorders can be determined are
identified. The significance of maternal deprivation and its
negative impact on the child’s early social-emotional
development is revealed. The staged sequence of the child’s
experience of grief, which is a consequence of separation from
the mother (or a person who replaces her), is presented.
The article reveals the main reasons for the violation of
attachment formation in orphans and children deprived of
parental care: 1) deprivation (sensory, cognitive, emotional,
social); 2) the experience of being in an antisocial
(disadvantaged) family; 3) experienced violence; 4) neglecting
the needs of the child; 5) separation. The importance of
J. Bowlby’s attachment theory for social-behavioral sciences
and pedagogy is shown.