Attachment - evolutionary theory Flashcards
evolutionary theory of attachment
tendency to form attachments is innate and is present in both infants and mothers (reciprocity)
monotropy
strong attachment to mother and stay in close proximity
what did Bowlby believe is the critical period for human attachment?
30 months after birth
Bowlby (1958) monotropic theory
ASCMI
what does ASCMI stand for
Adaptive, social releasers, critical period, monotropy, internal working model
continuity hypothesis
strong attachments in infancy = socially and emotionally competent later in life
weak attachments in infancy = social and emotional difficulties later
adaptive
attachments are adaptive
they give adaptive advantage to species, making us more likely to survive
social releasers
physical and behavioural characteristics of babies that ‘unlock’ innate tendency for adults to care for them
critical period
30 months, if no attachment is formed in that time then the child is damaged for life
monotropy
special, intense attachment to mother.
internal working model
future relationships are based on relationship with mother
strengths of Bowlby’s theory
+ critical period is based on Lorenz’s research
+ impactful, has been developed and applied to early childcare - neglect is investigated more thoroughly and immediate physical contact between infant and mother
limitations of Bowlby’s theory
- gender bias (alpha bias) focus on father providing and mother caring. reflects 40s view and lacks temporal validity - parents likely to share care now
- convincing alternate theories (learning theory) with lots of supporting evidence
- internal working model is deterministic, people like to think they have control over relationships
- critical period is sensitive and not critical, damage is not irreversible if given suitable care
Schaffer and Emerson contrasting evidence to Bowlby’s monotropic theory
by around 7 months, 29% of babies had multiple attachments, and strongest attachment isn’t always with the mother
