Attachment in the early years

For most, if not all, people, the attachments we have with others are at the centre of our lives and play a large part in determining how happy and contented we are. Attachments are two-way, dynamic processes between people and start from the beginning of life. John Bowlby, often called ‘the father of attachment theory’, was the key figure in developing a complex model of the attachment system and proposing how it serves to provide security to individuals while also encouraging them to be active in the world. Research based on this theory is revealing the significance of the early years of life in the formation of attachments that go on to be central throughout life. This course gives an introduction to this exciting area of contemporary study.

This course is an adapted extract from the Open University course E219 Psychology of childhood and youth.