Bowlby Monotropic Theory

Question 1

What are the five key points in Bowlbys monotropic theory?

Answer 1

• adaptive
• social releasers
• critical period
• monotropy
• internal working model
  = a snapchat makes images

Question 2

Define an adaptive behaviour

Answer 2

• Behaviour which aids survival in the animals environment
• Bowlby argued attachment is adaptive as it is innate & provides a survival advantage

Question 3

Define social releasers + examples

Answer 3

Traits or behaviours babies have which unlock an innate tendency in adults to care for them
- physical e.g. big eyes, chubby cheeks
- behavioural e.g crying, cooing, smiling

Question 4

Which piece of research supports the idea of social releasers?

Answer 4

Brazelton - still face experiment; young babies spontaneously used social releasers to try to elicit responses from caters; mothers found it difficult to resist the urge to respond

Question 5

Define critical period + what this is in humans, monkeys and geese

Answer 5

Time period where an attachment must be formed or it never will
- Humans —> 6 months - 2.5 years (sensitive to 5 years)
- Monkeys —> 90 days, Geese —> few hours

Question 6

Define monotropy

Answer 6

Bowlby believed infants form one special attachment w their mother + if mother isn’t available baby can bond with another ever-present adult mother substitute

Question 7

What research refutes the idea of monotropy ?

Answer 7

Scahffer & Emerson
- at 18 months, only 13% of babies were attached to one person; had as many as 5 attachments

Question 8

Define internal working model

Answer 8

Mental representation of our relationship with our PCG that becomes a template for future relationships

Question 9

Which research supports IWM?

Answer 9

Bailey’s 99 mothers study
- found attachment styles mother had as a child was similar to attachment style their child had