What does Bowlby say about Detachment?

• A. Children will trust hospital staff
• B. Detachment has no long-term impact
• C. Children will commit themselves less and less to succeeding figures and in time will stop altogether
• D. Children will form attachments quickly

Answer: (C)

Detachment in Bowlby’s framework describes what happens after a caregiver is absent for a long period or caregiving is inconsistent. The child stops showing the earlier protests and despair and becomes emotionally withdrawn, showing less interest in the caregiver and in forming close bonds with others. This withdrawal isn’t just a temporary mood—it signals a potential difficulty in attaching to new figures later on. Over time, the child may invest less in relationships with future attachment figures and, in some cases, seem to stop seeking close bonds altogether. That perspective aligns with the idea that detachment reduces the child’s willingness or ability to form meaningful attachments down the line. It’s not about immediate trust in hospital staff, it does imply long-term effects on bonding, and it doesn’t suggest that children form attachments more quickly.