Bowlby’s Work On Attachment

Question 1

Imprinting

Answer 1

Offspring follow the first moving object they see and create an intense emotional attachment

Question 2

Reciprocal attachment

Answer 2

Parents reciprocate attachment to babies as they elicit behaviours encouraging it e.g. social releasers

Question 3

Social releasers

Answer 3

Babies encourage caregiving through smiling, crying, eye contact, sucking and crawling

Question 4

Continuity hypothesis

Answer 4

Successful early attachment will result in successful relationships in later life

Question 5

Monotropy

Answer 5

Special emotional bond with 1 person, usually a mother based on a sensitive response rather than time given = primary attachment figure

Question 6

Internal working model

Answer 6

Special relationship forms a template for future relationships and insight into caregiver behaviour so true partnership can form

Question 7

Secure base hypothesis

Answer 7

Independence of a child is based on the security provided by a caregiver

Question 8

Critical period

Answer 8

Quality of attachment dependent on first 3 years of life to ensure long-term benefits

Question 9

What are the 3 phases of Bowlby’s theory of attachment

Answer 9

1. First few months of life
   - baby responds indiscriminately towards caregivers, baby will orientate themselves towards adults using social releasers which lead to a social response form caregivers
2. 3-6 months of life
   - social releasers used to promote proximity to caregiver
3. 6 months - 2/3 years old
   - baby shows intense attachment to primary caregiver, establish a ‘safe base’ from which to explore independence, show distress at separation and joy at reunion, fear strangers and use social releasers to alarm caregiver

Question 10

Konrad Lorenz (1930)

Answer 10

In order to survive, animals like ducklings and goslings need to recognise caregivers so they can recognise mates and predators and ensure that sexual behaviour is aimed at the same species

Question 11

Harlow and Zimmerman (1959)

Answer 11

8 rhesus monkeys choice of wire or cloth ‘surrogate’, 4 fed by wire and 4 fed by cloth = regardless of which provided food, infants preferred cloth ‘contact comfort’ critical in development of attachment.

Question 12

Russel Isabella (1993)

Answer 12

Observed mothers and babies interacting at 1,4,9 months and assessed quality of attachment = most strongly attached babies raised by sensitive mothers

Question 13

Jerome Kagan (1984)

Answer 13

Temperament hypothesis
- babies’ innate temperament e.g. difficult affects mothers ability to form attachment = attachment formed is dependent on sensitivity - nature vs nurture

Question 14

Michael Rutter et al (2011)

Answer 14

Bowlby claims attachment only forms before 6 months in critical period, but Rutter shows it is not impossible - a sensitive period shows that the developmental period is not set.