Bowlby's theory of attachment Flashcards
What perspective does Bowlby’s theory take
A strongly evolutionary one
What key concept does Bowby introduce to the evolutionary approach
The environment of evolutionary adaptiveness. This is the environment that a species adapted to survive in and the select pressures that environment creates
What is the the human environment of evolutionary adaptiveness and how did this influence attachment
Moving out of the jungle into the savanna 2 million years ago, which Bowlby argues had a strong evolutionary pressure for close attachment between infant and mother, as an infant would have been in danger when not with an adult
Why have we evolved attachment
It serces an important evolutionary function in protecting the infant, as an unattached infant is unprotected
What are the six key terms involved in Bowlby’s theory
Adaptive and innate tendencies
Critical Period
Monotropy
Internal Working Model
Continuity Hypothesis
Social Releasers
What direction does attachment go
Both ways, as the parents must also be attached to the child in order to ensure they are cared for and protected
Who’s less likely to pass their genes to their offspring
Inadequately attached parents who don’t protect their kids
Why does an infant become attached
Due to an innate drive, taking inspiration from Lorenz imprinting
When does a child become attached
Over the critical period
When is the critical period
Around 3 - 6 months
What happens to a child who doens’t form an attachment over the critical period
They struggle to form attachments later on
What is the most important factor in determining who the child will become attached to
Caregiver Sensitivity, taking inspiration from Mary Ainsworth
What are social releasers
Reciprocity and Interactional Synchrony
Why do infants use social releasers
They ensure an adult becomes attached to the child, an innate mechanism to manipulate adults to look after them
What is monotropy
Where the child forms one special emotional bond, usually with the mother but not necessarily
What is the importance of a monotropic relationship
It forms a mental representation of the relationship called the internal working model. The child develops a sense of self from their relationship with their mothers, and in the long term acts as a template for all future relationships
What does the internal working model allow an infant to do
It gives them insight into the caregivers behaviour and enables the child to manipulte the caregiver, and acts as template for future relationships
What is the continuity hypothesis
A theory which proposes that individuals relationships with their caregiver carry over to the rest of their life. Those that are strongly attached continue to be socially and emotionally competent while those who aren’t have social and emotional difficulties
What is an issue with the idea that attachment developed as critical to survival
Bowlby suggests attachments form during the critical period from 3-6 months. This is very late as a mechanism to protect infants. However it could be that attachment is only necessay when infants start crawling, as before this the child is immobile. This supports the view that attachment is adaptive to species and environment
What is an issue with the critical period
It suggests that attchments cannot be formed outside the critical period. Rutter studied children who failed to form attachments in the critical period, and found that attachments were less likely to form but not impossible. This is just a window where children are most receptive to forming attachments, therefore sensitvie period may be more appropriate than critical period
What is research support for the continuity hypothesis
The Minnesota parent-child study found continuity. Those securely attached were rated highest for social competence in childhood. This is deterministic, and can be demotivating to struggling individuals.
What is an alternative explination for attachment behaviour
The temperament hypothesis, developed by Kagan, suggest some babies are assholes and so it’s difficult to attach to them. Supported by Belsky and Rovine, who found infants with behaviour instability between one to three days were more likely to have insecure attachments.
What might be a better explination for the temperament hypothesis and Bowlby’s theory
A interactionist approach, as Belsky and Rovine found mothers perceptions of the infants temperament influenced their levels of sensitivity and responsiveness. The two could be linked
Who suggested the temperament hypothesis
Kagan
Who found support for the temperament hypothesis
Belsky and Rovine
Who found evidence of the continuity hypothesis
The Minnesota parent-child study
