Attachment and Spiritual Maturity 19
child. A longer separation may be damaging to the secure base that bonding builds (Klaus et al., 1995).
Bowlby's theory of attachment moved attachment research further in five key
ways (Rutter, 1995). First, it differentiated attachment qualities of relationships from other aspects_of relationship. When anxiety increased attachment behavior, it also
inhibited playful interactions. This differentiation is important so the qualities of
security to other relationships can be tracked. Second, the development of attachments
were placed within the context of normal developmental processes and specific
mechanisms were proposed. Emphasis was placed on the role of attachment in
promoting security and encouraging independence. This differentiated attachment from
dependency. The development of attachment is not just an immature phase of
dependency, but rather a feature that fosters maturity in social functioning. Third, the
development ofattachments was placed firmly in a biological framework. God, having
created humans, must have had a specific purpose in creating this framework. The
process was seen as an intrinsic feature of human development as social beings, rather
than a secondary feature learned as a result ofrewards of feeding (Rutter, 1995). Fourth,
internal working models of relationships were suggested as a means for both carrying
forward ofeffects of early attachment experiences into later relationships and also a
mechanism for change. Fifth, Bowlby made various suggestions about the ways in which
an insecurity in selective early attachments might contribute to the onset of
psychopathology. All of these key features have received substantial support from
empirical research (Belsky & Cassidy, 1994). Bowlby (1979) contended that attachment behavior characterizes human beings
from birth to death. This original attachment forms the working model for a system of
later attachment behavior that is relatively stable throughout childhood. Continuity is due
primarily to the persistence of interrelated mental models of self and social life in the
context of a fairly stable family setting (Bowlby, 1973). Bowlby's studies hypothesized
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