Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory Flashcards
What does Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory state?
Infants are innately programmed to form attachments with their caregiver.
Which must be formed within the critical period (0-2 years)
What does an attachment not forming cause?
An attachment not forming will mean one may never be formed and may lead to poor social skills in adulthood
What are social releasers? How do babies use social releasers?
Expressions made to encourage the caregiver to attach to an infant. Baby may cry, smile or grip onto clothes to get attention
What is the purpose of social releasers?
To activate the adult attachment system, to make the adult feel love towards the baby
What is monotropy?
This is when infants form an attachment with one key caregiver
What does the monotropical attachment formed develop for infants?
Bolwby suggested that the monotropical attachment that is formed during infancy helps us to develop our internal working model
What is meant by the internal working model?
The internal working model (IWM) describes the view that we hold of ourselves and the way we believe other people view us
Based on the internal working model, what did Bowlby suggest about adulthood relationships?
Based on the IWM, Bowlby suggest that our infant attachments affect our adulthood relationships
Our infant attachments affect our adulthood attachment. What is this known as in Bowlby’s theory?
The continuity hypothesis (the law of continuity)
What is Bowlby’s theory known as and why?
It is known as an evolutionary explanation - attachments give us a survival advantage
What is the law of accumulated separation?
The effects of every separation from the mother ‘adds up’ and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose
What is a limitation of Bowlby’s monotropic theory? (evidence is mixed)
One limitation of Bowlby’s monotropic theory is the mix of evidence for monotropy. Bowlby states infants generally form one attachment to their primary caregiver, which makes it special and different from other attachments formed. However, this is not supported by evidence from Schaffer and Emerson as they found infants form primary attachments first and later form multiple attachments with others
What is a strength of Bowlby’s monotropic theory? (IWM is testable)
The idea of the internal working model is testable because it predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed on from one generation to the next. A study by Bailey et al (2007) assessed 99 mothers with one year old babies on the quality of their attachment to their own mothers and the attachment of the babies to the mothers by observation.
It was found that mothers who reported poor attachments to their own parents were much more likely to have children classified as poor according to the observations. This supports the idea that an internal working model of attachment was being passed through the families
What is a limitation of Bowlby’s monotropic theory? (reductionist)
Bowlby’s theory is reductionist. The theory suggests that infants form attachments due to innate programming. Infants are born with innate features that cause them to develop on attachment to their primary attachment figure. However, this ignores other factors that may explain attachments such as forming associations and experiences with caregiver
