Bowlby's theory of attachment Flashcards
Bowlby overview 6 points
- Attachment is adaptive
- Is triggered by social releasers
- Occurs in a critical period
- Is monotropic
- Contributes to our internal working model
- Has long term consequences
How does Bowlby believe an attachment is formed?
Through social releasers and the critical period
what is a social releaser?
A social behaviour or characteristic that elicits caregiving and leads to attachment. → explains how attachments are formed / allow attachment to take place
What is the critical period?
Bowlby proposed that a critical period ( 3- 6 mths) when the infant attachment system is active
And out of this time forming an attachment will be much more difficult
Others now view it as a sensitive period where the child is maximally sensitive at age 2 so forming a attachment after this time is much harder
What is monotropy?
Indicates that one particular attachment is different from all others and of central importance to the child’s emotional development.
- He proposed we all form one special bond / primary attachment
- More time spent with this individual the better
What two laws did he put forward to clarify monotropy?
- law of continuity
- The law of accumulated separation
Law of continuity
the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of their attachment.
The law of accumulated separation
the effects of evert separation from the mother add up ‘ and the safest therefore a zero dose’
What are the consequences of attachment?
The internal working model
What is the internal working model?
A mental model of the world which enables individuals to predict and control their environment. In the case of attachment the model relates to a person’s expectations
about relationships.
What are the long term and short term consequences Bowlby suggested?
- Short term - gives the child an insight into the caregiver’s behaviour, of which can be influenced by the child to enable a true partnership to form.
- Long term - ot acts as a template for future relationships and generates expectations for these.
Strengths
- Attachment is adaptive - changing overtime
This attachment is critical for emotional development. → In the wild, much earlier than 3 mths → species specific - Continuity hypothesis - study support
Sroufe - followed ppt from infancy to adolescence and found those classified securely attached in infancy were highest rated for social competency / less isolated / more empathetic
Supports Bowlby in the sense that attachments can have long term consequences in later life. - Study support for Social releasers
Brazelton - instructed primary attachment figures to ignore their babies social releasers - babies initially showed distress but once continued to ignore they responded by curling up and lying motionless.
Supports Bowlby’s ideas about significance of instant social behaviour in eliciting caregiving / social releasers initiating interaction - Study support for internal working model
Bailey et al - studied 99 mothers those with poor attachment to parents were more likely to have one year olds who were poorly attached
Supports the idea of IWM as it is being passed through families
Limitations
- Sensitive or critical period ?
Rutter et al - supports the view of a critical period to an extent → less likely for attachments to form after but not impossible
Researchers now prefer to refer to this as a sensitive period
Criticising Bowlby of the 3-6 months as it can occur outside - Alternative explanations
Temperament hypothesis - infants emotional personality may explain attachment behaviour - easy temperament more likely to form a strong attachment - Belskey and Rovine - found babies 1-3 days old had signs of behavioural instability - formed insecure attachment
- Socially sensitive
Has implications for the lifestyle choices mothers make with young children - law of accumulated separation states time apart from primary attachment figure causes for disadvantaged child → feminists argue mothers are blamed for anything in a child’s life - Bowlby did not intend this
