What they saw in institutions
In wartime nurseries and orphanages, children were fed, treated, and kept clean. Even so, many stopped gaining weight, lost interest in play, and fell behind in language development. Those who arrived very young and were repeatedly moved between caregivers fared worst.
The comparison was unexpected. Children who stayed with their mothers in difficult conditions fared better than children in a well-run institution without a consistent adult nearby. So the issue was neither nutrition nor hygiene.
- 1940sObservations in wartime nurseries and orphanages: even with good care, children still fell behind.
- 1951A report for an international organization is published: losing a consistent adult is recognized as a serious risk.
- 1950sFilms about children in hospitals change the rules: parents begin to be allowed to visit their children.
- 1960sStudies emerge observing children's behavior during separation and reunion. The theory takes a testable form.
The third point changed hospitals. Previously, parents were allowed to visit their children for one hour a week because visits were thought to upset children: afterward, they cried. Observations showed that crying was a sign that the bond was still intact, while a child's calmness meant they had stopped waiting.
What became part of the theory
The theory was later refined and criticized many times: its early formulations overstated the mother's role and underestimated fathers, grandmothers, and caregivers. Today's version refers to a consistent adult, not a specific role.
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Sources
- Observations of children in wartime nurseries were conducted by Anna Freud and Dorothy Burlingham
- John Bowlby prepared the 1951 report on the impact of separation on development. Later research refined the role of a consistent caregiver