Bowlby's theory - explanations for attachment

Question 1

Monotropic theory

Answer 1

Rejected learning theory as an explanation for attachment - he said ‘were it true, an infant of a year, or two should take readily to whomever feeds him and this clearly not the case’

Proposed an evolutionary explanation - attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantages
Attachment like imprinting (geese) evolved as a mechanism to keep young animals safe - staying close to adult caregivers

Question 2

Monotropy

Answer 2

Great emphasis on a child’s attachment to one particular caregiver - believes that the child’s attachment to one caregiver and that this is more important than the other attachments
Referred to this person as ‘mother’ - but does not have to be the biological mother/a women
The more time spent with this person, the stronger the attachment

Question 3

Bolwby’s two main principles

Answer 3

The law of continuity - the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of attachment
The law of accumulated separation - effects of every separation from the mother add up, the ‘safest dose is therefore a zero dose’

Question 4

Social releases

Answer 4

Suggests that babies are born with a set of innate ‘cute’ behaviours to encourage attention from adults
Called social releases - purpose to activate adult social interaction
Recognised that attachment was a reciprocal process - both mother and baby are ‘hard-wired’ to become attached

Question 5

Critical period

Answer 5

Bowlby proposed that there is a critical period around six months when the infant attachment system is active
He viewed it as more of a sensitive period (max sensitivity between 6 months and possibly up to 2 years)
If an attachment is not formed in this time, a child will find it much harder to form one later

Question 6

Internal working model

Answer 6

Bowlby proposed that a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure - called internal working model
A child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend to form an expectation that all relationships are as loving, and will bring these qualities to all future relationships
Will also impact their relationships as a parent themselves - tend to base parenting behaviour from their own experiences

Question 7

Limitation to the idea of monotropy

Answer 7

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - although most babies did attach to one parent first, a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time
- Though the first attachment does appear to have a strong influence on later behaviour, this may meant it is stronger and not necessarily different in quality from the child’s other attachment
Other attachment to family members provide all the same qualities - a safe place, emotional support

Question 8

Support for social releasers

Answer 8

-Clear evidence that cute baby behaviours are designed to elicit interactions from caregivers
Brazelton et al (1975) - observed baby triggers interactions with adults using social releasers
Researchers instructed the caregiver to ignore the baby’s social resellers - babies became distressed and eventually lay curled up and motionless
Illustrates role of social releasers in emotional development and suggests that they are important in the process of attachment

Question 9

Support for internal working model

Answer 9

-Predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next
-Bailey et al (2007) looked at attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their one-year babies - researchers measured the mother’s attachment to their own primary attachment figures (their parents) and the attachment quality of their babies. Found that mothers with poor attachment to their own primary attachment were more likely to have poorly attached babies

Question 10

Support for the internal working model 2

Answer 10

Ijzendoorn (1996) - meta-analysis of the results of 18 similar studies covering a total of 854 parents
Supported the idea that well-attached parents tend to have children with good attachments, suggesting that attachment quality is transmitted from one generation to the next

Question 11

Counterpoint for support of the internal working model

Answer 11

Probably other important influences on social development
Kornieko (2016) - believe that genetic differences in anxiety and sociability effect social behaviour in both babies and adults - differences can impact parenting ability
Means that Bowlby may have overstated the importance of the Internal working model in social behaviour and parenting