MASSOLIT: John Bowlby and Attachment Theory

In this lecture, Dr Emily Burdett (University of Nottingham) explores John Bowlby's research on attachment, focusing in particular on: (i) the definition of ‘attachment’ and ‘attachment theory’ according to Bowlby; (ii) the origins of Bowlby’s special interest in the mother-infant relationship in his 44 Juvenile Thieves study; (iii) some key aspects of Bowlby’s attachment theory, including its basis in evolutionary theory, the concept of monotropy and the internal working model; and (iv) some criticisms of Bowlby’s research, such as its narrow focus on the infant’s relationship with the mother and its cultural specificity.