In five pages child development is discussed in a consideration of how important the first relationship with a caregiver is. Four sources are cited in the bibliography.
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continuous relationship with his mother..... in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment. It is this complex, rich and rewarding relationship with the mother in early years, ....that child psychiatrists...now believe
to underlie the development of character and mental health" (JB Associates, nd). This statement has never been contradicted, instead, it has been repeatedly re-confirmed. What has also been confirmed in
the research is that children who lack this kind of nurturing and caring during infancy and toddler years very often develop a condition known as attachment disorder (JB Associates, nd).
Put in the simplest of terms, attachment disorder is the inability to establish and maintain close relationships with others. Garelli explained Bowlbys theory in this way: "Bowlbys Attachment Theory advances
a multidisciplinary stance" which integrates several areas of science including, but not limited to, ethology, sociobiology and psychobiology(Garelli, 1997). Bowlbys purpose in integrating these various systems was to determine the
"origin, function and development of the childs early socio-emotional relations" (Garelli, 1997). Bowlby was looking for a general theory of the behaviors of the infant and young child (Garelli, 1997).
Bowlby saw the attachment behavior as a discrete behavior within a behavior system, a phrase he used to replace the word "instinct" which he thought to be quite vague (Garelli,
1997). The behavioral system incorporated a number of behaviors were both observable and discrete in the infant, such as smiling, clinging, following, crying and approaching Garelli, 1997). Each of these
behaviors elicited a predictable outcome -- the caregiver came closer whether to protect or provide the child with survival care and/or nurturance (Garelli, 1997). The infants behaviors have the result
of activating maternal feelings and behaviors in the care giver who is usually the mother (Garelli, 1997). This is the basis of the attachment between the child and the