Attachment

Question 1

Outline one way in which research into attachment has been used in real

Answer 1

babies sleep by mothers in
maternity wards (1) as this allows the mother to respond instantly
to her child’s needs (1)’, etc.

Question 2

Describe one theory of attachment

Answer 2

Describe:

• Bowlby believed that babies attach for survival. He believed there was one main attachment that was the first to form. He called this monotropy. This was always with the primary caregiver who Bowlby believed was the mother.
• Bowlby also believed that attachment had to occur in the first 3 years of life otherwise attachments could never be formed. He called this the critical period, and said that attachments were strongest if formed in the first year
• Bowlby also believed that a loss of attachment could cause severe problems. Loss could occur through death of a parent or a parent going away for work. He called this deprivation and said that deprivation could cause children to become insecure and needy.
• Finally Bowlby believed that ‘privation’ or a lack of attachment was the most severe of all. If a child lack’s attachment in their life they cannot grow up as happy and satisfied individuals with healthy relationships. An example of privation is the case of Genie