This week in the 11-Week Revision Programme, we’re focusing on Attachment.

It’s impossible to study attachment without talking about John Bowlby, the dominant figure behind the theory. His work suggested that humans are biologically programmed to form emotional bonds with caregivers because these attachments help infants survive and regulate emotions.

What’s really interesting is that Bowlby’s ideas didn’t stay the same over time. As more research emerged, aspects of his theory evolved; for example, his early idea of a strict “critical period” later became a “sensitive period,” acknowledging that attachment can still develop beyond the earliest years.

If you’re revising this week’s topic, this article is a great read because it looks back at how Bowlby’s theory developed, was challenged, and refined over time:

🔗 https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/looking-back-making-and-breaking-attachment-theory