Eplanation F Attachment: Bowlbts Theory Flashcards
What is the difference between the Learning Theory and Bowlbys Theory of Attachment
LT takes on a behaviourist approach into understanding attachment whereas BT has an evolutionary perspective and believes that attachment is innate
What are the 5 parts of Bowlbys Theory
ASCMI
What does ASCMI stand for
Adaptive, Social release, Critical period, Monotropy and Internal working model
Describe the term ‘adaptive’ in terms of Bowlbys Theory
Having an attachment gives humans an advantage as it keeps them safe, they have someone that provides them food, water, shelter, warmth and more
Describe the term ‘Social release’ in terms of Bowlbys Theory
These are characteristics, both physical and behavioural, that unlock innate tendency in adults for social interaction. Physical- cute face Behavioural- crying, cooing, smiling ect…
Describe the term ‘critical period’ in terms of Bowlbys Theory
Bowlby discovered the critical period for babies to form an attachment which is 3-6 moths. However he found that this can go up to 3 years. If not formed by then they will have a very hard time with other aspects of development
Describe the term ‘monotropy’ in terms of Bowlbys Theory
He believes that a child’s attachment to a certain caregiver is different and more important than others. This person tends to be the mother figure or primary cg and he out 2 principles to clarify this : law of continuity and law of accumulated separation
Describe the term ‘internal working model’ in terms of Bowlbys Theory
This is a mental framework of what future relationships may look like based on current attachment bonds with caregivers. This however affects the child’s ability to be a parent to themselves which is why children with functioning families tend to have similar families themselves
What is the law of continuity in Monotropy
The more constant and predictable a child’s care is the better the quality of their attachment
What is the law of accumulated separation in Monotropy
The effects of every separation from the mother add up ‘and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose’
What is a limitation of Bowlbys theory
The concept of Monotropy lacks validity. Schaffer and Emerson found that although most babies did attach to one person at first a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time. Sometime sit doesn’t matter about the strength of the attachment but more the quality of the bond. This means that his theory may be incorrect that they’re is a unique quality and importance to the child’s primary attachments
What is a strength (without counterpoint) of Bowlbys theory
There is clear evidence supporting the role of social releases and that cute baby behaviours are designed to elicit interactions from caregivers. A study was done and it showed that when primary cg ignore their babies social releases, the baby will become increasingly distressed and be motionless. This shows the importance of social releases on emotional development and attachment
What is the strength (with counterpoint) on Bowlbys theory
That there is support for the internal working model. The idea of IWM is said to be passed on from generation to generation. A research was done and it was to assess the attachment quality of babies and their mothers and then those mothers with their primary cg. From here it showed that those who had good attachments with heir mothers, have good attachments with their kids and vice versa. This supports Bowlbys idea on the influence of IWM
What is the counterpoint of the strength of support for the IWM
There are probably other important influences on social development. E.g some psychologists believe that genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affects social behaviour in both babies and adults meaning that Bowlby may have overstated the importance of IWM at the expense of other factors
