John Bowlby - From Psychoanalysis to Ethology (eBook)

Unravelling the Roots of Attachment Theory

Frank C. P. van der Horst (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2011
216 Seiten
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-119-99311-7 (ISBN)

Infos

This accessible book draws on unique evidence from oral histories
and little-known archive material to shed new light on the working
relationships which led to John Bowlby's shift from
psychoanalysis to ethology as a frame of reference - and
ultimately to the development of attachment theory.

* A unique exploration of the origins of Bowlby's ideas and
the critical transformation in his thinking - offers an
alternative to standard accounts of the origin of attachment
theory

* Explores the significance of Bowlby's influential working
relationships with Robert Hinde, Harry Harlow, James Robertson and
Mary Ainsworth

* Provides students, academics, and practitioners with clear
insights into the development of attachment theory

* Accessible to general readers interested in psychology and
psychoanalysis

Autor

Frank C. P. van der Horst is a psychologist at De Waag Rotterdam, an outpatient clinic for forensic psychiatry, and a researcher at the Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University. His research aims at describing the history of ideas in the behavioural sciences, such as the ideas and work of John Bowlby, René Spitz, William Goldfarb, Jean Piaget, and Harry Harlow.

Inhalt

About the Author.

Foreword (Professor Jerome Kagan).

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1 Biographical Notes and Early Career.

2 Loneliness in Infancy: The WHO Report and Issues of
Separation.

3 Working with James Robertson: The Importance of
Observation.

4 Bowlby's Acquaintance with Ethology: The Work of Lorenz,
Tinbergen, and Hinde.

5 From Theoretical Claims to Empirical Evidence: Harry Harlow
and the Nature of Love.

6 Mary Ainsworth's Role in the Study of Attachment.

Conclusions.

References.

Name Index.

Subject Index.

Rezensionen

"van der Horst's treatment of thecross-fertilization of ideas--as well as the personal andprofessional relationships that went into their making--iscommendable. Given our own contemporary interest in the promisesand pitfalls of interdisciplinarity, it emphasizes the many gainsthat can emerge out of an active commitment to talk acrossdisciplines. With its focus on a series of important attempts tomerge the goals of the psychological and the natural sciences, vander Horst's book should equally interest historians ofethology, biology, psychology, psychoanalysis, and the humansciences more broadly. Despite the complex nature of the story thatit tells, this book is highly accessible and well suited tononspecialists and specialists alike." (Journal of the Historyof the Behavioral Sciences, 2 October 2013)

"Overall, this book, although somewhat cost-prohibitive,does a very good job of helping to contextualize the development ofattachment theory and would be useful reading for both cliniciansand researchers at all levels of understanding regarding attachmenttheory. I agree with Jerome Kagan that this is a''coherent, gracefully written, even-handed, and richlydetailed description." (Journal of Marital andFamily Therapy, 1 October 2012)

"Nonetheless, for those interested in the history ofpsychology, and attachment theory in particular, I recommend JohnBowlby: From Psychoanalysis to Ethology for what it tells us aboutthe origins of attachment and John Bowlby's courageousforging of attachment theory." (PsycCRITIQUES, 2May 2012)

"... (this book)does a very good job of helping to contextualizethe development of attachment theory and would be useful readingfor both clinicians and researchers at all levels of understandingregarding attachment theory. I agree with Jerome Kagan that this isa "coherent, gracefully written, even-handed, and richly detaileddescription"." (Journal Marital and Family Therapy, October2011)Frank van der Horst applies his background in both History andPsychology to unravel the origins of a major developmental theory.What is obvious now is how attachment theory continues to grow andprovide a framework for both research and practice. Less obviousnow is that John Bowlby's theory of the development of achild's tie to mother was revolutionary. This well-writtenvolume focuses on those crucial years when Bowlby discoveredEthology. He wove its concepts into extensive clinical observationsto provide an explanation for long-lasting effects of maternalcare, including separation. This volume sets the development ofBowlby's thinking within the context of his whole life, toprovide a coherent account of how a dedicated clinician came todevelop an influential theory of human emotional development, fromthe cradle to the grave.
--Dr. Joan Stevenson-Hinde, Senior ResearchFellow, Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, Department of Zoology,University of Cambridge, UK

This volume provides invaluable insights for anyone interestedin the origins of attachment theory. No previous publicationdescribes Bowlby's integrative approach to theory-building(particularly the process of reworking psychoanalytic concepts inlight of ethology) with the same depth. Also central are detailedanalyses of the historical and institutional context within whichBowlby's ideas developed and incisive accounts, based onpreviously unpublished letters and interviews, of his intellectualinterchanges and personal relationships with major figures andcolleagues.
--Inge Bretherton, Professor Emerita,Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University ofWisconsin-Madison, USA

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 22.3.2011
• Vorwort: Jerome Kagan
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie ► Allgemeine Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie ► Entwicklungspsychologie
• Schlagworte: Developmental Psychology • Entwicklungspsychologie • Psychologie • Psychology
• ISBN-10: 1-119-99311-3 / 1119993113
• ISBN-13: 978-1-119-99311-7 / 9781119993117