A6. Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory Of Attachment

Question 1

Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Answer 1

• evolutionary theory: ‘attachments are innate’ (ASCMI)

Question 2

ASCMI

Answer 2

A = Adaptive (attachments advantageous/beneficial; child is safe, warm and fed)
S = Social Releasers (unlock innate adult tendency to care for child)(trigger = cute face)
C = Critical Period (2.5 - 3yrs; if attachment isn’t formed in this period, child will be stunted) [44 thieves]
M = Monotropy (one carer)(unique, strongest form)(maternal deprivation = AP and disability)
I = Internal Working Model (mental schema for relationships; perception of primary attachment; dysfunctional IWM may seek out other dysfunctional IWMs)

Question 3

+ Eval: IWM Support

Answer 3

• Bailey et al.
• observation of 99 mothers, and the recording of their children’s attachment types using the Strange Situation
• found that poor, insecure attachments to the children coincided with the mothers reporting poor attachments to their own parents
• suggests IWM’s formed during initial attachment, and impact children’s ability to attach adequately to their own children later on in life

Question 4

• Eval: Socially Sensitive

Answer 4

• although Bowlby didn’t specify that the primary attachment figure must be the mother, in 65% of cases it is.
• therefore pressures mothers to delay return to work, so that they ensure a secure attachment
• this also means any developmental abnormalities are blames on the mother by default
• monotropy may ‘stigamtise’ poor mothers and pressure them to take responsibility

Question 5

• Eval: Cultural Bias

Answer 5

• van Izjendoorn and Kronenberg
• found that monotropy was scarce in collectivist cultures, where the whole family is involved in raising and caring for the child
• monotropy is therefore not universal, and therefore not generalisable; so is a limited explanation