Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

Question 1

What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?

Answer 1

Animals and humans have an innate tendency to form attachments

Question 2

How are attachments adaptive?

Answer 2

Attachments give our species and advantage as they make us more likely to survive as the infant is kept safe, given food, kept warm etc.

Question 3

Define social releasers

Answer 3

Innate social behaviours or characteristics which elicit caregiving and lead to attachment

Question 4

What are the two types of social releasers?

Answer 4

Behavioural and physical

Question 5

Two behavioural social releasers

Answer 5

Crying and cooing

Question 6

Two physical social releasers

Answer 6

Baby face features and body proportions

Question 7

What is the critical period in humans?

Answer 7

Babies have to form an attachment within the first 2 years of their life or their development will be damaged

Question 8

What is monotropy?

Answer 8

Infants form oe very special emotional bond (the primary attachment relationship)

Question 9

What is the internal working model?

Answer 9

A mental schema for relationships based on the attachment with our primary caregiver. All child’s future adult relationships will be based on this

Question 10

What is the law on continuity?

Answer 10

A high quality relationship with the primary caregiver in infancy will lead to higher quality childhood and adult relationships and vice versa

Question 11

Strength - support for social releasers

Answer 11

Brazleton et al. (1975) - asked primary attachment figures to ignore their babies’ social releasers
- babies showed initial distress then lied motionless

Question 12

Strength - support for the law of continuity

Answer 12

Hazan and Shaver found that children who had healthier relationships with their mother had healthier romantic relationships and were less likely to divorce

Question 13

Limitation - contradictory evidence for critical period

Answer 13

• research has suggested it is less likely to form attachments beyond the critical period rather than it being impossible
• sensitive period is a preferable term

Question 14

Limitation - socially sensitive research

Answer 14

• theory has major implications for the lifestyle choices mothers make when their children are young
• Erica Burman (1994) - places a terrible burden of responsibility on mothers