11. Explanations Of Attachment: Bowlby's Theory AO1 Flashcards
What do you attachment and imprinting have in common?
They are both innate
What was Bowlby’s evolutionary explanation?
- Infants and their caregivers have INHERITED mechanisms that enable them to attach to each other through natural selection
Define monotropy
Infants have an innate capacity to attach to single caregiver
Why is Bowlby’s theory described as monotropic?
Because of the emphasis on the Childs attachment to one caregiver (mono= ‘one’ and tropic= ‘leaning towards’)
What is special about monotropic attachment?
This attachment is different from others and is more important
What did Bowlby believe to be beneficial?
The more time a baby spends with its primary attachment figure the better
What are the two main reasons for more time spent with the primary caregiver being beneficial to the baby?
- Law of continuity
2. Law of accumulated separation
What is law of continuity?
The more constant a Childs car the better the quality of attachment
What is law of accumulated separation?
The effects of every separation add up, so the safest dose is therefore a zero dose
What did Bowlby suggest a baby is born with?
A set of innate ‘cute’ behaviours (e.g smiling) that encourage attention from adults, these are called Social releasers
What is the purpose of a social releaser?
To activate the adult attachment system (make them feel love towards the baby)
What did Bowlby recognise about attachment?
That it is a reciprocal system
What did Bowlby propose babies have?
He propose there is a critical period of about two years when the infant attachment system is active
What happens if an attachment is not formed within the critical period?
The child will find it much harder to form an attachment later on
What did boldly argue that the child forms?
He argued that a child forms of mental representation (internal working model) of the relationship with their primary attachment figure
What does the internal working model serve as?
It serves as a template for what relationships are like
What will occur in a child whose first experience is a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver?
They tend to form an expectation that all relationships are loving and reliable
What else can the internal working model effect?
The Childs later ability to be a parent themselves
Name one piece of supporting evidence for Bowlby’s theory
Lorenz also found a critical period in his animal study, imprinting/attaching is an innate process
What are the parts that Bowlby broke stages of attachment into?
- Adaptive
- Social releasers
- Critical period
- Monotropy
- Internal working model
- Continuity hypothesis
Define ‘adaptive’
This means they give our species an ‘adaptive advantage’, making us more likely to survive.
What are infants more likely to survive if they are ‘adaptive’?
This is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they are kept safe, are given food, and kept warm.
Define ‘social releasers’
These social releasers unlock the innate tendencies of adults to care for them
What are the two types of ‘social releasers’?
Physical - ‘baby face’ features and body proportions
Behavioural - crying, laughing
