Is Attachment a Psychoanalytical Theory?

• Published in: Critical hermeneutics Vol. 8; no. 2
• Main Authors: Michelle Vianna Goliath, Richard Theisen Simanke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: UNICApress 01.11.2024
• Subjects: attachment theory; John Bowlby; psychoanalysis
• ISSN: 2533-1825
• DOI: 10.13125/CH/6175

Attachment theory, postulated by John Bowlby in collaboration with psychologists Mary Ainsworth and Harry Harlow, has been the subject of much discussion about its nature. The author considers it a psychoanalytical theory, but his peers in psychoanalysis at the time rejected this idea and offered criticism of his concepts, suggesting that they were not in alignment with the principles of psychoanalysis. At the same time, collaborators Mary Ainsworth and Harry Harlow have repeatedly questioned the necessity of Bowlby’s choice of psychoanalysis as a basis for attachment theory, suggesting that it may not be the most appropriate approach. Lately, attachment theory has been used in many psychology courses and articles, without so much as a single mention to its psychoanalytical nature. This article presents a research proposal for an investigation of the nature of attachment theory on a conceptual level. It poses the question of whether the concepts used as a basis for attachment theory are consistent with psychoanalysis.