Attachment: Bowlbys monotropic theory

Question 1

What does bowlbys theory state?

Answer 1

Attachment is and innate and adaptive system in that we have a tendency to form an attachment in order to survive

Question 2

What is meant by social releasers?

Answer 2

Cute infant behaviour and characteristics

Question 3

What is meant by a critical period?

Answer 3

.period where infant is sensitive to forming bonds (30 months)

Question 4

What is meant by monotropy?

Answer 4

.special and intense bond with one particular caregiver essential for psychological and emotional development

Question 5

What is meant by internal working model?

Answer 5

.first bond is essentially the blueprint to relationships in later life -gives a mental representation (a schema/blueprint/expectation) of what relationships are like

Question 6

who did bowlby suggest is the primary caregiver?

Answer 6

.the mother

Question 7

How is this theory supported?

Answer 7

.animal studies -goslings have a critical period of 12 days
-monkeys have a critical period of 90 days
.support for social releasers -brazelton et al, showed social releasers importance as babies distressed if their social releasers/behaviours are ignored

Question 8

What is a negative to this theory?

Answer 8

.alpha bias -researcher exaggerates the difference between males and females -bowlby suggested the females role was to form the primary caregiver -has implications in society as both males and females are expected to play a role in the child’s upbringing and this pressures women to stay at home -economic implications