Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory (explanation of attachment) Flashcards
What does Bowlby argue about why we form attachments?
Children have an innate drive to form attachments as it aids survival and can have long-term benefits
What is the “Monotropy”?
The primary attachment figure which Bowlby argues has special importance (MORE IMPORTANT THAT ANY OTHER ATTACHMENT) - often the person who responds most sensitively to the infant’s needs
What are the 2 laws that Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory is based on?
Law of continuity - more constant & predictable a child’s care, the better the attachment
Law of accumulated separation - effects of every separation from a mother add up
What are the 6 important characteristics that aid the formation of an attachment?
Monotropy
Social releasers
Critical Period
Internal Working Model
Secure Base (other)
Continuity Hypothesis (other)
What are social releasers?
Babies are born with “cute” behaviours (cooing & gripping) to encourage attention from adults
BOTH HAVE AN INNATE PREDISPOSITION TO BE ATTACHED & SOCIAL RELEASERS TRIGGER THAT RESPONSE IN CAREGIVERS
What did Bowlby suggest about the critical period?
If an attachment isn’t formed in the first 2 years (the critical period), it would be extremely difficult to form attachments in the future
What is the Internal Working Model?
Babies form a mental representation of their relationship with their primary caregiver - MONOTROPY BECOMES TEMPLATE FOR FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS
What is the idea behind a “secure base”?
That attachments act as a secure base from which a child can explore the world and return when threatened
What is the continuity hypothesis?
The idea that early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour is linked
Securely attached infants more likely to be socially & emotionally competent (and vice versa)
What are the strengths of Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?
Animal research support imprinting & critical period (Lorenz)
Support for Monotropy - Tronick et al (1992) - African tribe
Support for social releasers - Brazelton et al (1975) - Interactional synchrony
Support for internal working model - Bailey et al (2007)
Support for continuity hypothesis - Minnesota longitudinal study
What did Tronick et al find (1992)?
Studied Africa tribe in which babies were breastfed by other women but baby still showed only 1 primary attachment to mother
What did Brazelton et al (1975) find?
Observed babies during interactions - babies showed signs of distress when mother didn’t respond - shows how social releasers elicit response
What did Bailey et al (2007) find for the IWM?
Found babies who had a poor relationship with their mother were more likely to have bad relationships in the future
What happened in the Minnesota longitudinal study?
Followed participants from infancy to late adolescence
Found that securely attached infants had better social competence later in life
What are the weaknesses of Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?
Counter evidence against Monotropy - Rutter (1995)
Idea that attachments can’t be formed after critical period (Hodges & Tizard 1989)
Idea that poor attachment during infancy = poor future attachments (research shows counter examples)
Ingnores role of father - he suggested it was economic which is sexist and outdated idea
How did Rutter (1995) provide counter evidence against the Monotropy?
Suggested that each attachment figure had its own value in the infant’s life
What did Hodges & Tizard (1989) find?
21/22 of 4 year old orphans formed secure attachments with their foster parents by the age of 8
