ATTACHMENT- bowlbys theory of attachment Flashcards
Define monotropy
-A childs attachment to the primary caregiver (usually the mother) is different in quality from any other attachments they may form
Describe monotropy
-Bowlby’s belif in the instinctive nature of attachment led him to suggest that the mother figuire would be the primary caregiver
-The main figure does not have to be the mother but it is most likely to be
Who was John Bowlby?
-1907-1990
a British psychologist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst
Who was Bowlby influenced by?
The studies carried out on animals by Lorenz (1935) and Harlow (1959)
Which theory of attachment does Bowlby disagree with?
Learning theory
What did Bowlby’s research lead him to discover?
attachment was an innate system developed as an evolutionary process to aid survival
Why is it necessary for the infant to attach to the parent?
-for protection from harm
-as a source of food
-for nurture/care
Why is it necessary for the parent to attach to the infant?
-to ensure they are cared for and survive
Why is Bowlby’s theory described as monotropic?
-he suggests that the child forms an attachment to one (mono) key caregiver
Who could the monotropic attachment be formed with?
-can be a mother or other person in the child’s life, such as the father or even a grandparent
The more 1.____ a child spends with this caregiver - the (2.____ attachment figure) - the better the 3.____ of attachment
1.time
2.primary
3.quality
What were Bowlby’s two laws?
-Law of continuity
-Law of accumulated separation
What is the law of continuity?
-The more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of attachment
What is the law of accumulated separation?
-Every separation from the primary attachment figure affects the child
How does Bowlby suggest attachment is formed?
-Bowly suggested that babies are born with innate behaviours that help a caregiver form an attachment to the infant
Give some examples of behaviours that help a caregiver form an attachment - why are these social releasers?
-smiling
-cooing
-gripping a finger
-having a ‘cute’ baby face
-they trigger the adult to interact with the infant so that an attachment can be formed
What is a social releaser?
Innate behaviours a baby is born with to encourage attention + reciprocity from an adult (eg. smiling)
What are charcteristics of caregivers that form stronger attachments with the infant?
-Responsive + accesible in response to social releasers
Define the critical period
-A biologically determined period of time during which certain characteristics can develop (eg. attachment) can devolp
-Outside of this time period it will not be possible
When did Bowlby suggest the critical period occur?
-Around 3-6 months
-The most sensitive period is at 6 months
What will happen if attachments are not formed in the critical period?
The child will find making attachments later on difficult
What does Bowlby suggest the internal working model is?
-A child forms a model for what relationships look like using their attachment and relationship to their primary attachment figure
Describe the internal working model using an example
-A child who experiences a loving and secure relationship with a consistent and safe caregiver will grow up to expect this from later relationships
What is the other role of this model?
-Helps the infant influence their caregiver’s behaviour (using social releasers) as a way to form an attachment because the infant has a mental representation of the relationship
When is the critical period?
In the first 3 years of life
Give a strength (animal studies)
-Studies supporting Bowlby’s monotropic theory include animal studies
-Lorenz (1935) found that goslings formed attachments to the first moving thing that they saw after hatching, which suggests that attachment is an innate process
-This supports Bowlby’s idea that attachment has developed as an evolutionary process to aid survival
-However findings from animal studies cannot be generealised to humans
Give a strength (social releasers)
-There is evidence to support the idea of social releasers
-Caregivers were instructed to ignore their baby’s social releases whereby the babies then became increasingly distressed
-This suggests that babies use social releasers as a way to elicit attention and attachment to their caregiver
-These findings support Bowlby’s theory of social releasers and their importance in forming an attachment to a caregiver
Give a limitation (multiple attachment)
-Multiple attachments
-Research suggests that babies form multiple attachments rather than one attachment
-Schaffer and Emerson (1964) propose that children form multiple strong attachments to a variety of caregivers from the age of 10- 11 months
-This suggests that Bowlby’s monotropic theory is incorrect
Give a limitation (Attachments after the critical period)
-Infants can form attachments after the critical period
-Rutter et al. (2010) found, during studies of Romanian orphans, that although it is less likely that attachments are formed after the critical period of three to six months, attachments can form
-This time of a child’s development is important for forming attachments, as infants seem to be particularly receptive to forming attachments during three to six months
-However, attachments have been found to take place after six months, and so the critical period is now called a sensitive period
