Bowlby's monotropic theory -- critical period/ IWM

Question 1

What does the monotropic theory suggest?

Answer 1

It’s the idea that humans have evolved an innate (born with/ in their genes) the drive to attach to an adult when they are born.

Question 2

What is the process of the monotropic theory?

Answer 2

The attachment helps infants to survive, meaning they can grow up + have their own children. The genetic code for attachment is then passed onto their children, who are also more likely to survive.

Question 3

What is the strength of attachment determined by in this theory?

Answer 3

The quality of the care offered by the infant’s PAF

Question 4

Define monotropy

Answer 4

Bowlby suggested that each infant will have one PAF whom the infant develops their first and most important attachment with
‘leaning towards one thing’

Question 5

What does this theory suggest about a child’s attachments?

Answer 5

the child will ‘lean’ towards having one PAF, and that this person forms the basis for all other attachments/relationships

Question 6

What did Tronick et al find regarding a tribe in the Democratic Republic, that supports the monotropic theory? (2 things)

Answer 6

They found that the Effe tribe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo care for each other’s children; a child can be fed by multiple different women.
However, infants still showed a preference for one PAF– the person who cared for them the most.

Question 7

What did Schaffer and Emerson (1964) find that extends the monotropic theory?

Answer 7

They found that a minority of babies form multiple attachments at the same time.

Question 8

What do the findings of Schaffer and Emerson (1964) suggest about attachment?

Answer 8

Suggests there are natural variations in attachment, and that having one PAF isn’t universal as Bowlby predicted.
However, still found most infants did have one PAF.

Question 9

What is the critical period that Bowlby found and what would happen if the child didn’t form a good attachment in this time?

Answer 9

This is the important window of time within an attachment must be formed.
Peaks at approx. 6 months of age.
If the infant doesn’t form a good attachment, they’ll struggle for the rest of their life.

Question 10

What is the ‘Sensitive period’ that Bowlby suggested?

Answer 10

suggested this lasts up to 2 years of age, and that children can form primary attachments up to this point, but that drive was strongest at the age of 6 months.

Question 11

What were the two things Rutler et al. found that supports the Critical Period, in regards to Romanian orphans?

Answer 11

-Found that romanian orphans, adopted before age of 6 months, formed normal attachments and developed normally for the rest of their lives.
-However, those adopted after age of 6 months had problems forming/maintaining attachments, carrying on into adulthood.

Question 12

What does the Internal Working Model (IWM) involve?

Answer 12

The relationship with the PAF creates rules/expectations about relationships that the baby stores in its brain.
These form the basis for all other relationships.

Question 13

How are secure attachments developed? (IWM)

Answer 13

If the infant learns positive/ supportive rules for a secure attachment, they’ll have more positive relationships.

Question 14

How are insecure attachments developed? (IWM)

Answer 14

if the infant learns rules for an insecure attachment, it’s likely their other attachments will be negative.

Question 15

What did Bailey et al. (2007) do that supports the IWM/ Bowlby’s theory, in regards to mothers attachment to their babies?

Answer 15

They measured the attachment strength with 99 mothers + babies and assessed each mother’s attachment to their own PAF’s (parents)

Question 16

What did Bailey et al. find from their (2007) study regarding mother’s attachment to their babies?

Answer 16

Found that mothers with poor attachments to their own parents were most likely to have poor attachments with their own children.

Question 17

What does ‘Universality ‘involve within the monotropic theory ?

Answer 17

This suggests attachment is universal and found in all human populations.

Question 18

What did Van Ijzendoorn demonstrate regarding ‘universality’?

Answer 18

They demonstrated hat attachment is the same all around the world.

Question 19

What does ‘Secure base’ involve?

Answer 19

Infants use their PAFs as a secure base from which they explore the world.
The type of attachment will change the infant’s exploration.

Question 20

What are the three types of attachment in infants?

Answer 20

Secure
Insecure-avoidant
insecure-resistant

Question 21

What did Ainsworth find regarding ‘secure base’ ?

Answer 21

She found that it was the type of attachment the infant had that influenced how they used their PAF as a secure base.

Question 22

What does the ‘Continuity Hypothesis’ Involve?

Answer 22

This suggests the type of attachment (Secure/ Insecure) that an infant has at age 1 will continue for the rest of the infant’s life.

Question 23

What did Sroufe et al. do and find that supports the ‘Continuity Hypothesis’ ?

Who’s study also supports this concept?

Answer 23

They tracked a group of infants through to the age of 20 years and found the group still had the same attachment type they had at age 1.
Bailey et al (2007)

Question 24

What does ‘Social Releasers’ involve?

Answer 24

Human children are born with innate social releasers which increase the chance of attachment forming with an adult.

Question 25

What are the two things that ‘Social Releasers’ do to an adult?

Answer 25

They can either trigger a behaviour in the adult carer
or increase the chances the carer will look after the baby.

Question 26

What are the three ‘Social releasers’ in babies?

Answer 26

• They look cute, making adults feel the need to protect them.
• They smile from an early age, indicates when they’re burping/ farting.
  -They are born with the drive to cry when uncomfortable, making parents want to try and find out what is wrong with the baby.