Bowlby's Theory Flashcards
What does the Evolutionary Theory suggest?
That attachment is innate, adaptive and reciprocal.
Who proposed the Evolutionary Theory?
John Bowlby
What does ASCMI mean?
An acronym
- Adaptive
- Social Releasers
- Critical Period
- Monotropy
- Internal Working Model
What is Monotropy?
A special intense attachment with their mother/carer.
What is the Critical Period?
- 3-6 months
* If the child has not formed an attachment by this age they may become emotionally damaged.
What are Social Releasers?
They unlock the innate tendency of adults to care for them.
They strengthen attachments.
What are the two stages of Social Releasers?
Physical- the baby face hypothesis.
Behavioural- crying, cooing, smiling ect.
What does the Adaptive stage tell us?
- That babies have an innate drive to attach.
- Attachments are Adaptive
- This means they make the infant more likely to survive.
What is the Internal Working Model?
- A special mental schema for relationships.
* Through the monotropic attachment the infant would form and Internal Working Model. (A schema for all relationships)
What did Bowlby suggest?
That infants are more likely to attach when quality is better than quantity.
Who supports Bowlbys theory?
- Harlows Monkeys
- Hazan and Shavers love quiz
- Tronick- Efe Tribe in Zaire
Outline the study of Harlows Monkeys
•Monkeys had a choice of two mothers; - wire mother who did the feeding.
- Cloth mother for comforting.
What did the results find in Harlows Monkeys?
That the monkeys became more attached to the cloth mother as it gave comfort and warmth.
How does Harlows Monkeys support Bowlbys theory?
It supports the notion that love and warmth are more important to attachment than food.
What are the implications of Harlows Monkeys?
Although humans are similar to monkeys it’s hard to generalise the findings, so it lacks in ecological validity.
