Bowlby's theory of attachment Flashcards
what was Bowlby’s theory called?
The monotropic theory of attachment (1969)
what did he mean by monotropy?
infants very special attachment with their mother. if the mother isn’t available, the infant could bond with another ever-present, adult, mother-substitute.
what did Bowlby mean by internal working model?
Throughout the monotropic attachment, the infant would form an internal working model. this is a special model relationship. all the child’s future adult relationships will be based on the relationship with the model.
what did `Bowlby mean by adaptive?
this means the monotropic figure give our species an adaptive advantage, making us more likely to survive. this is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they’re kept safe, given food and kept warm.
what did Bowlby mean by social releases?
babies have ‘social releases’ which unlock the innate tendency of an adult to care for them. These social releases are both physical (baby face, features and body proportions) and behavioural (crying, cooing). this ensures proximity with the attachment figure.
what did Bowlby mean by the critical period?
the time between 3-6 months. Bowlby said that if these attachments didn’t happen, the child would be damaged for life- socially, emotionally, internally and physically.
what does can be used to remember Bowlby’s theory and what do they stand for?
ASCMI
adaptive, social release, critical period, monotropy, internal working model.
what did Bowlby argue about attachment?
that it an evolved mechanism that ensures the survival of the child.
what is evolution?
the process whereby useful features are introduced into a species. features are useful if they help the animals to survive long enough to successfully reproduce. To survive and reproduce, animals must be well adapted to their environments.
