A psychological framework proposing that early bonds between children and caregivers shape emotional development and relationship patterns throughout life.
From 'attachment' + Greek 'theoria' (contemplation). Theory developed by John Bowlby in the 1950s-60s.
Attachment theory is one of psychology's most powerful ideas — how you bonded with your first caregiver creates a template for all your future relationships.
Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1950s) emerged when women's workforce participation was rising; early research prioritized mother-infant bonds and sometimes pathologized maternal employment, reinforcing assumptions that caregiving is women's primary role.
Apply attachment research equally to all primary caregivers (fathers, same-sex parents, grandparents, guardians) without assuming mothers are default attachment figures.
["caregiver bonding","primary relationship formation"]
Women developmental psychologists like Mary Ainsworth conducted foundational attachment research (Strange Situation paradigm) but were often cited secondary to Bowlby; her empirical rigor shaped modern attachment science.
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