Developmental Psychology: Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory Flashcards
What does ASCMI stand for?
> Adaptive > Social Releasers > Critical Period > Monotropy > Internal Working Model
What does Adaptive mean?
Adaptive is, according to Bowlby an innate drive we are born with to form an attachment with a caregiver, because it has long term benefits such as survival and ultimately its reproductive value.
What does Social Releasers mean?
Social releasers include smiling and crying, which are there to trigger caregiving
What is the Critical Period?
This is a period in which an infant must form an attachment otherwise there will be serious consequences on the baby’s health, this period is 2.5 years after being born.
Name a study that supports the Adaptive component of Bowlby’s Theory
Lorenz
What did Lorenz find?
His study found that imprinting is innate because the goslings (baby geese) imprinted on the first moving object they saw, whether it was the mother Goose, or Lorenz himself. He said this is because of our need to survive, and the geese have the same innate program.
Name a Study which supports the idea of the Critical period
Harlow and Harlow
What did Harlow and Harlow find?
The results they collected suggests that social and emotional abilities might be damaged if an attachment isn’t formed.
Name a study which supports the idea of The Internal Working Model
McCarthy
What did McCarthy find?
McCarthy used attachment data from infancy. A group of women who were assessed as insecurely attached, were studied and their relationships recorded and analysed. they were found to be more likely to have romantic problems. This suggests that due to their poor form of attachment they struggled to form a good relationship, since they didn’t have a good template in which to use.
Name a study that goes against the idea of Monotropy
Harlow and Harlow
What did Harlow and Harlow find that goes against Monotropy?
Harlow’s Study also provides evidence against monotropy, because the monkeys that were without a mother, but grew with each other, showed no signs of social or emotional damage.