Attachment - explanations of attachment: Bowlby's monotropic theory Flashcards
What is the acronym to help remember this theory?
M - monotropy
I - internal working model
S - social releases
S - survival
C - critical period
E - evolutionary
C - continuity hypothesis
I - innate
In what way was his theory an evolutionary one?
Believed attachment was innate as it has a survival advantage
Attachment seen as a two-way process (mother and baby seek proximity)
Argues attachment has evolved as a way of keeping the infant safe
What is monotropy?
Babies form one special attachment with their mother - special intense attachment
If mother isn’t available, infant could bond with another ever-present adult (‘mother substitute’)
What is the law of continuity?
The more constant and predictable a child’s care is, the better the attachment
What is the law of accumulated separation?
The effects of every separation from mother add up and ‘the safest does is a zero dose’
What is the internal working model?
First attachment forms a template (or schema) for future adult relationships
What is a schema?
Pattern of thought or behaviours that organises categories of info and relationships among them
What is the continuity hypothesis?
The template continues into adulthood and affects future relationships
Child who received continuous care from primary caregiver will develop a positive IWM and have positive expectations of relationships in future
Child who received lack of sensitive caregiving will develop a negative IWM and have negative expectations of future relationships
What is the critical period and sensitive period?
Babies must form an attachment within the critical period which is the first 2.5 years of life with a caregiver - if they don’t, they’ll suffer irreversible damage
(Critical period later softened to sensitive period of 0-5 years due to case study evidence which contradicted his original concept)
What are social releasers?
Innate behaviours of the baby (crying, smiling) that activate the adult attachment system and elicit a response towards the infant
B argued mother and baby have innate readiness to become attached to each other and therefore social releasers trigger the attachment behaviour in the caregiver
Who was inspired by Bowlby’s work?
Ainsworth - went on to develop the 3 attachment types
Outline information about Genie
Feral child discovered at 13 - severely abused and isolated by her father - wasn’t allowed to speak, not exposed to normal social interactions which severely delayed her development
Made some progress in learning language but never fully due to early deprivation and no attachment with anyone
Outline information about the Czech twin boys
Twins banished to cellar for 5 and a half years and occasionally beaten. Discovered dwarfed, lacking speech, rickets and no understanding of meaning of pictures
Despite severe deprivation, able to make significant developmental progress and form secure attachments when provided with supportive environment - due to attachment with each other
