As a result Bowlby discarded the previous notion which concluded that food is the primary drive in relationships and dependency comes secondary, and developed the Attachment theory. This theory presented several organizing principles for understanding the dynamics and various aspects of relationships, and has since provided many psychologists and researchers with a guiding framework to apply to their own studies. .
The Attachment theory suggests that attachment is not simply a result of various needs and drives being satisfied (such as obtaining food), but rather that children's attachment to their parents involves behavior that is separate of their direct needs. Assuming that humans are social beings, the Attachment theory proposes that there is a strong social and moral approach in how individuals interact with each other, and that people do not use others in an attempt to satisfy their own personal drives. Jeremy Holmes, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in the United Kingdom, expanded on Bowlby's work and suggests that children who are emotionally deprived wind up being social misfits and eventually lead a distorted and destructive lifestyle (1988).
The Attachment theory is also accepted by most psychiatrists and psychologists as the best explanation for how we relate to our environment and develop the capacity to form relationships with others. It affirms that the methods we use to relate to others and how we express our demands shape our expectations of the world are rooted in our relationships with our caregivers during infancy. These interactions help us learn to balance our feelings and self-esteem through establishing independence, dependence, power and control. The application of Bowlby's Attachment theory states that the intimate, emotional bonds between certain individuals are not dependent on food, sex or other factors such as desire for comfort and support (1988,120).
