ABSTRACT
Several studies in the 1940s and 1950s suggested that, after prolonged separation from their mothers, very young children proceeded through phases of “protest,” “despair,” and “detachment” (Marvin & Britner, 1999). Bowlby (1958) decided that it was loss of the specific mother figure that spurred these reactions. Bowlby (1969/1982) posited that genetic selection favored attachment behaviors, which increased mother-child proximity. In turn, proximity increased the likelihood of protection and survival. From an evolutionary perspective, infants that stayed close to their mothers were less likely to be killed by predators (Cassidy, 1999).
