Bowlby’s Monotropy theory of Attachment Flashcards
What type of theory is Bowlby’s approach?
An evolutionary approach and explanation of attachment.
What does Bowlby’s theory being an evolutionary approach suggest?
Suggests that attachment behaviour is an innate/ instinctive behaviour. The innate nature of attachment implies that infants are born with social releasers.
What are social releasers?
Certain behaviours such as smiling or crying, in order to ensure proximity and contact.
What happens as a result of social releasers?
The infants caregiver will respond to these specific behaviours and an attachment will form due to this interaction between them.
why did Bowlby suggest the first few years were important for the infant?
This was a critical period for attachment.
What did Bowlby believe to happen during the 3-6 month period?
The infants would be most responsive to attachment formation.
After what time did Bowlby suggest it would be impossible to form an attachment?
by 12 months- 2 years.
Who did Bowlby suggest the first attachment formed would be between?
The first attachment formed would be between the mother/ caregiver and the infant.
What is monotropy?
The suggestion that there would be one primary attachment figure who would be more important than the rest.
What is referred to as ‘the continuity hypothesis’?
According to Bowlby this first attachment between the infant and caregiver would provide the infant with and internal working model for future relationships.
Is attachment adaptive?
Yes, Bowlby proposed that attachment promotes survival for infants therefore attachment is adaptive because of an attachment is formed the infant is more likely to be well cared for and this will become a template for their future relationships.
Should it be a “sensitive” rather than critical period for attachment to occur?
It is not impossible to form attachments after 3-6 months/12 months- 2 years e.g. Ritter et al. Therefore researchers prefer to use the term “sensitive period” rather than critical.
What evidence is there to suggest secondary attachments have a role in development?
Research on infant - father attachment (Schaffer + Emerson) and (Grossman + Grossman, 1991) suggests fathers have a key role in protection for the infant.
Explain Kagan’s “temperament hypothesis” as an alternative explanation for attachment.
Suggests the infants innate emotional personality may explain attachment behaviour. Those with an easy temperament are more likely to become attached, those with a difficult temperament would be insecurely attached.
Is there support for Bowlby’s continuity hypothesis?
Hazan & Shaver’s “the love quiz” advised participants to give info about early childhood relationships and their later adulthood relationships. They found a strong relationship between childhood attachment type and adulthood attachment type: those who had secure childhood attachments described others as trustworthy and felt confident that they were loved.
