Bowlby

Question 1

Aim?

Answer 1

Influenced by Lorenz and Harlow’s research into imprinting and attachment.
Proposed that children deprived of an early, strong attachment may suffer permanent long-term emotional maladjustment (wanted to test theory)

Question 2

What was his theory called?

Answer 2

Bowlby’s Monotropic Attachment Theory (1969)

Question 3

Why attachment forms?

Answer 3

It serves an important survival function - infants who aren’t attached are less well-protected

Question 4

What did he argue about the direction attachment forms in?

Answer 4

It’s formed in two directions - parent must also be attached to infant to ensure they are cared for and can survive

Question 5

What are the three features of how attachment forms?

Answer 5

1. Critical period
2. Social releasers
3. Monotropy

Question 6

What did Bowlby identify the critical period as?

Answer 6

3-6 months
Babies have an innate drive to become attached during this period

Question 7

What did Bowlby propose that attachment is determined by?

Answer 7

Sensitivity rather than food

Question 8

What did Bowlby argue that social releasers do?

Answer 8

Elicit caregiving
Innate mechanisms that explain how attachments TO infants are formed

Question 9

What did Bowlby propose was monotropy?

Answer 9

Infants have one special emotional bond (primary attachment relationship)
More often than not the infant’s biological mother

Question 10

What was the short term impacts of the IWM?

Answer 10

Enables child to influence the caregiver’s behaviour so a true partnership can be formed

Question 11

What was the long term impacts of IWM?

Answer 11

Acts as a template for all future relationships
Generates expectations about what intimate loving relationships are like

Question 12

Continuity hypothesis?

Answer 12

The idea that emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure, trusting and socially confident adults

Question 13

Evaluation 1: strength

Answer 13

• politically influential at the time
• theory used as specific evidence that children should be looked after by one particular person
• 1950s, used to demonstrate how mothers should stay home to take care of children
• theory = significant due to large influence on ordinary society

Question 14

Evaluation 2: weakness

Answer 14

• idea of there being a critical period
• Rutter et al research = less likely for attachments to form after this but not impossible
• developmental window is where infants would be maximally receptive to forming characteristics
• but developments can take place outside this window
• sensitive period rather than critical

Question 15

Evaluation 3: weakness

Answer 15

• Kagan’s temperament hypothesis
• proposes an infant’s innate emotional personality may explain attachment behaviour
• infants with easier temperament = more likely to become strongly attached (easier to interact with them)
• infants with difficult temperament = more insecurely attached
  = significant weaknesses