Attachment and development
John Bowlby
1907–1990
A short biography
The British psychiatrist made close relationships a developmental research problem. Drawing on psychoanalysis, ethology and other fields, he developed attachment theory. Ainsworth’s observational research became an important part of this tradition.
What does this figure represent in psychology?
Proximity seeking, caregiver availability and separation are considered together. Internal working models describe expectations arising from relationships. Early relationships matter without making the rest of life predetermined. Historical texts should be compared with current evidence and different caregiving arrangements.
Key concepts
Attachment system: behaviours concerned with proximity and security. Internal working model: a theoretical account of relationship expectations.
A question for the reader
How can we distinguish early influence from a claim of fixed destiny?
Selected works and publications
Links lead to original texts, institutional catalogues or publication records; not every link provides a free full text. Work titles are retained in their original or established language.
Reading in context
Historical influence does not establish every claim today. Read original works in their historical and methodological context.
Sources
Source check: 16 October 2026. Institutional biographies and accessible bibliographic records were consulted; some records were checked through indexed summaries. Complete works were not all read. Concept connections and questions were written for this collection.