bowlby's monotropic theory Flashcards
What type of theory is monotropy?
Evolutionary
What is the basis of the monotropic theory?
Attachment is an innate system which gives a survival advantage
What does monotropic mean?
One particular attachment is more important to a child’s development
What did Bowlby believe about the monotropic figure?
More time a baby spent with this figure the better
What is the law of continuity?
The more constant and predictable a child’s care, better quality attachment
What is the law of accumulated separation?
Effects of separation add up
What are Bowlby’s two laws?
Continuity and accumulated separation
What are social releasers?
Babies’ innate cute behaviours like smiling
What is the purpose of a social releaser?
Activate adult attachment system
Make adult feel love
Trigger reciprocal response
What is the critical period for attachment?
2 years
Is there a critical period?
More of a sensitive period
Child maximally sensitive at 2
Harder to form later
What is an internal working model?
Child forms mental representation of relationship with caregiver
Model for later relationships
How does the internal working model affect how the child parents?
People base parenting on own experience
Good parenting comes from good attachment
Evaluation - mixed evidence for monotropy
Schaffer and Emerson - significant minority can form multiple attachments at the same time as primary
Primary attachment may be stronger but is it better quality?
Evaluation - support for social releasers
Brazleton - observed babies and mothers
Reported existence of interactional synchrony
Experiment - PAFs ignored babies’ social releasers
Babies first showed distress then lay motionless
Strong response - significance in infant behaviour in eliciting caregiving
Evaluation - support for internal working model
Bailey - assessed 99 mothers with 1 year olds
Assessed attachment of babies to mothers
Mothers who reported poor attachment in childhood were more likely to have poor with their own children
Evaluation - socially sensitive
Implications for lifestyle choices of mothers
Burman - places burden on women
Mothers take blame
Evaluation - temperament as important as attachment
Some babies more anxious or sociable
Explain later social behaviour
Bowlby overemphasises early experiences
