Evolutionary Theory of Attachment - Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

Question 1

What are the key terms of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 1

• monotropy
• social releasers
• critical / sensitive period
• internal working model
• continuity hypothesis

Question 2

What did Bowlby put forward?

Answer 2

An evolutionary explanation

Question 3

What does the evolutionary theory suggest?

Answer 3

Attachment is innate and has survival advantage

Question 4

how does imprinting + attachment behaviour promote survival?

Answer 4

keeping the child close to the parent helps to protect them and the parents genes

more likely to survive

Question 5

Describe Bowlby’s monotropy theory

Answer 5

A child makes an attachment to 1 caregiver

primary attachment figure is mother
not necessarily the one that birthed them

Question 6

What did Bowlby argue?

monotropy

Answer 6

the more time spent with primary attachment figure, the better because:

law of continuity
law of accumulated separation

Question 7

define law of continuity

Answer 7

the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better quality of attachment

Question 8

define law of accumulated separation

Answer 8

effects of every separation from the mother add up

Question 9

define social releasers

Answer 9

innate ‘cute’ behaviour

e.g smiling attracts and keeps adults attention

Question 10

what is the purpose of social releasers?

Answer 10

trigger/activate adults attachment system so they feel love for the baby

Question 11

what is the link between the attachment process of adults and babies?

Answer 11

its reciprocal

adults also have innate behaviours in attachment process

Question 12

Give an example of reciprocity in attachment between an adult and baby

Answer 12

mother + baby have an innate predisposition to attach

Question 13

Did bowlby suggest a critical/sensitive period for the formation of attachment?

Answer 13

yes
(2yrs old)

sensitive = if attachment is not formed, it is much harder to form attachment later on

Question 14

What is the internal working model?

Answer 14

The idea that children form a mental representation of their relationship w/ primary caregiver

Question 15

why does the internal working model have a powerful effect in the child’s future?

Answer 15

when child becomes parent

They may tend to base their parenting behaviour off their own experiences of being parented