2.2 What Bowlby did and didn’t say

Theoretical ideas about early attachment tend to touch us more deeply than some other psychological theories, since we are often drawn by them to reflect on our own early experiences and how they have affected us, for good or ill. Add to this the forthright nature of Bowlby’s thinking and writing, and the controversial nature of his theory becomes easier to understand. Bowlby’s attachment theory has often been misrepresented and has been, in consequence, criticised for things that he didn’t actually state, so it is worth briefly reviewing these to highlight some important aspects of what he did say.