Early childhood experience is the base foundation leading to healthy child development and it influences further intimate relationships. The caregiver – infant attachment is considered to be strong relationship shaped in early pattern of interaction. Bowlby (1990) described attachment as one aspect of relationship between caregiver and child, which is involved in making the child secure, protected and safe. The experience throughout infant attachment is considered to have lifelong influence. According to Newman & Newman (2008, p.139) 'the mother's personality, the father's involvement in child care, the quality of parent's relationship with each other and their access to social support, parent's psychological wellbeing are all factors that influence child's vulnerability'. The purpose of this essay is to analyse different theories and research studies: Ainsworth's and her colleague's theory of attachment and Bowlby's research study called 'Forty-four Juvenile Thieves' about psychological development of children and come to the conclusion whether attachment of infants to their caregivers influence their psychological development.
Many psychologists agree that attachment between child and caregiver in early childhood is essential for healthy psychological development. John Bowlby's attachment theory was formulated to clarify certain behavioural, characteristical aspects in life of infants, young children and even adolescents which were previously conceptualized with over dependency and dependency (Bowlby, 1990). Attachment theory pays unique attention to the role of caregiver in determination of a child's development. Ainsworth's theory of three patterns of attachment first described in 1971 by herself and her colleagues is now considered to be reliably identified alongside with caregiver's conditions that promote them (Bowlby, 1990). First there is a pattern of secure attachment where a person is feeling secure and confident that his parent or caregiver will be available, helpful and will response to any of his needs.