Bowlby

Question 1

Who was Bowlby influenced by?

Answer 1

Lorenz research on imprinting in less cognitively developed animals

Question 2

Imprinting meaning

Answer 2

The ability to recognise the caregiver and is an innate ability

Question 3

Imprinting meaning

Answer 3

The ability to recognise the caregiver and is an innate ability

Question 4

Lorenz (1935)

Answer 4

• allowed goslings to imprint on him
• mixed them with goslings who imprinted on mother and those who hadn’t imprinted at all
• when let loose goslings followed their caregiver and those who didn’t imprint wandered aimlessly

Question 5

Critical period

Answer 5

Period when an animal imprints/ attaches . After this period if an animal has not imprinted/ attaches it will never do so

Question 6

Critical period

Answer 6

Period when an animal imprints/ attaches . After this period if an animal has not imprinted/ attaches it will never do so. Humans = first 3 years of life (unbroken)

Question 7

Monotropy

Answer 7

Special attachment to one person (usually biological mother). The quality of this bond is important for healthy psychological development

Question 8

Continuity hypothesis

Answer 8

If a relationship doesn’t develop between child and caregiver, it can have negative long term consequences for the child but long term benefits of successful early attachment

Question 9

Social releasers

Answer 9

Child eliciting behaviours to encourage the caregiver to stay close and form attachment e.g. smiling/crying. Caregiver responds to the baby’s need so baby forms an attachment to caregiver (two way reciprocal process)

Question 10

Why are parents motivated to care for the child?

Answer 10

They are carrying half of their genetic material

Question 11

Internal working model

Answer 11

A set of expectations about relationships that will stay with the baby for the rest of its life

Question 12

Secure base hypothesis

Answer 12

If the infant can rely on their caregiver and feel secure they’re likely to explore their environment and develop more independence

Question 13

Phase 1 of attachment

Answer 13

• first few months of life
• baby responds indiscriminately towards any adult
• baby elicits social relaxers to promote proximity and closeness to adult

Question 14

Phase 2 of attachment

Answer 14

• 3 to 6 months
• child will use social releases to promote closeness and proximity but directly at primary caregiver

Question 15

Phase 3 of attachment

Answer 15

• 6 months to 3 years
• baby shows intense attachment to primary caregiver
• will show distress at separation and joy at reunion
• baby establishes a safe base to explore the world
• treats strangers with fear

Question 16

Babies also form BLANK to provide an important emotional safety net

Answer 16

Secondary attachments

Question 17

ASCMI

Answer 17

Adaptive/attachment, Social releasers, Critical period, Monotropy, Internal Working Model

Question 18

Attachment

Answer 18

An emotional bond between two people leading to promoting psychological wellbeing

Question 19

Short term consequences of attachment

Answer 19

Gives child insight into the caregivers behaviours and allows child to influence their behaviour so true partnership can be formed

Question 20

Long term consequences of attachment

Answer 20

Acts as a template for all future relationships as it sets expectations about what loving relationships look like

Question 21

Links to learning theories?

Answer 21

• children learn through classical conditioning to attach to their parents
• child learns through operant conditioning as positively reinforcement (rewarded) with food from mother
• nurturist argument = attachment is due to associating mother with food
• naturist argument = bowlby suggests evolutionary theory as attachment is an innate process of maturation

Question 22

AO3- Isabella (1993)

Answer 22

• importance of sensitivity
• strongly attached babies had mothers who were more sensitively responsive

Question 23

AO3 - Kagan (1984)

Answer 23

• temperament hypothesis
• some babies are emotionally difficult due to their innate personality and this affects the mothers ability to form close relationships

Question 24

AO3- Ruther (2011)

Answer 24

• critical period
• evidence to show attachments are less likely after 6 months but not impossible
• researchers now use “sensitive period” as developments can happen outside of this period

Question 25

Application to working mothers

Answer 25

• discourages women from being both a mother and a career woman as separation implied to be harmful for child’s development
• however attachment is not related to quantity but quality time
• Fox (1977) found that babies attachment was almost as strong to their mother as it was to the metapelet (child minder) despite spending less time with mother