Attachment Theory
Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby in the 1960s and 1970s, proposes that human infants are biologically predisposed to form close emotional bonds with a primary caregiver — not as a by-product of feeding, but as an independent primary drive that evolved because proximity to a protective adult increased infant survival. Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure operationalised the theory, identifying secure, anxious-avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, and (later) disorganised attachment patterns. Early attachment experiences build an internal working model that shapes emotional regulation, relationship patterns, and vulnerability to psychopathology across the lifespan.
Practice Questions
14 questions from across Cognitive Connie that test your understanding of attachment theory. Drawn from the complete question bank using the concept relationship — not only from one quiz.
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Theme
Attachment Theory
Attachment theory — or the theory of attachment — describes the deep emotional bond that forms between an infant and their primary caregiver…
Theme
Harlow's Monkeys and Contact Comfort
In the late 1950s, Harry Harlow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison began a series of experiments that would fundamentally alter our unde…
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