Abstract
John Bowlby was born in 1907. His father, a surgeon, encouraged him to pursue a medical career, but Bowlby initially decided to follow his interest in psychology by volunteering in an institution for delinquent children. He found these children to display little affect. His experience there fueled his interest in the effects of early deprivation on children’s development. Observing the pathologic effects of early maternal separation from or loss on these adolescents left an indelible impression on him, convincing him that some of the psychopathology he observed resulted either from those early losses or from disturbed relationships between the children and their mothers. He reluctantly decided to enter medical school and completed his training in psychiatry. Concurrently, he became a candidate in the British Psychoanalytic Society. Joan Riviere, a colleague of Melanie Klein psychoanalyzed him. Klein supervised him during his training. He subsequently graduated as a psychoanalyst and in 1938 married Ursula Longstaff, with whom he had four children.
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Notes
- 1.
Bowlby consistently refers to the caregivers as “mother.” However, he makes it clear that what he means is any person with whom the child has formed a special affectional bond. This may include fathers, nursery school caregivers, or others.
References
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Bowlby, J. (1961b). Note on Dr. Max Schur’s comments on grief and mourning in infancy and early childhood. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 16, 206–208.
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Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Vol. I: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss, Vol. II: Separation, anxiety and danger. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss, Vol. III: Loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent–child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1990). Charles Darwin: A new life. New York: W. W. Norton.
Freud, A. (1960). Discussion of Dr. John Bowlby’s paper. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 15, 53–62.
Schur, M. (1960). Discussion of Dr. John Bowlby’s paper. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 15, 63–84.
Spitz, R. (1960). Discussion of Dr. John Bowlby’s paper. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 15, 85–208.
Major Works
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Vol. I: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss, Vol. II: Separation, anxiety and danger. New York: Basic books.
Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss, Vol. III: Loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic books.
Supplementary Readings
Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (1999). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford Press.
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Palombo, J., Koch, B.J., Bendicsen, H.K. (2009). John Bowlby (1907–1990). In: Guide to Psychoanalytic Developmental Theories. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-88455-4_15
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