Behavioural Systems

Bowlby states that attachment behaviour is adaptive and has evolved through a process of natural selection. There are four basic evolutionary behavioral systems that interact to ensure survival and procreation of the species.  These systems are attachment, exploration, caregiving and sexual mating.

Other Quotable Bits

“Confidence in the availability of attachment figures, or lack of such confidence, is built up slowly during the years of immaturity (infancy, childhood and adolescence); whatever expectations are developed during those years tend to persist relatively unchanged throughout the rest of life.” (p. 235)

He identifies two key working models as being “whether or not the attachment figure is judged to be the sort of person who in general responds to calls for support and protection [and] whether or not the self is judged to be the sort of person towards whom anyone ... is likely to respond in a helpful way” (p. 204).

From the outsiders viewpoint, the goal is to establish or maintain contact with the attachment figure; from the attached person’s viewpoint, the goal is “felt security”. From the infant’s viewpoint, the goal is felt security. Infants perceive actual or possible separation as a threat to their well-being.

The three defining features and functions of an attachment relationship are proximity seeking (protest at separation), secure base and safe haven.  The attachment figure provides a secure based from which the infant feels safe to explore the environment.