explanation of attachment: Bowlby's theory Flashcards
why did John Bowlby reject the learning theory
John Bowlby rejects the learning theory as an explanation for attachment because if it was true, an infant of 1yr or 2yr should take readily to whomever feeds him and this is clearly not the case
what did Bowlby propose attachment was caused by
Bowlby looked at the work of Lorenz and Harlow for ideas and proposed an evolutionary explanation:
This attachment was an innate system that gave a survival advantage
Imprinting and attachment evolved because they ensure that young animals stay close to their caregivers and this protects them from hazards
why is Bowlby’s theory described as monotropic
Bowlby’s theory (1958,1969) is described as monotropic because he placed great emphasis on a child’s attachment to one particular caregiver (hence the word mono) and he believed that the child’s attachment to this one caregiver is different and more important than others
what did Bowlby call the main caregiver
Bowlby called this person the “mother” but was clear that it didn’t need to be the biological mother
the more times a baby spent with the “mother” - primary attachment- the better
what does the law of continuinity state
the law of continuinity state that the more constant and predictable a children care, the better the quality of their attachment
what is the law of accumulated separation
the law of accumulated separation stated that the effects of every separation from mother add up and the “safest” does is therefore “zero”
what are social releasers
Bowlby suggested that babies are born with a innate “cute” behaviours like:
-smiling
-cooing
-gripping
that encourage attention from adults
These are called Social releasers because their purpose is to activate the adult attachment, i.e. make an adult feel love towards the baby
how do social releasers help the infant and mother to become attached
Bowlby recognised that attachment was a reciprocal process
Both mother and baby have an innate predisposition to become attached and social releasers trigger that response in caregivers
The interplay between infant and adult attachment systems gradually builds the relationship between infant and caregiver, beginning in the early weeks of life
what is the critical period
Bowlby proposed that there is a critical period around two years when the infant attachment system is active
Bowlby viewed this as more of a sensitive period
A child is maximally sensitive at the age of two, if an attachment is not formed in this time, a child will find it much harder to form on later
what is the internal working model
Bowlby proposed that a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary caregiver
This is called an internal working model because it serves as a model for what relationships are like
how does the internal working model effect the nature of the child’s future relationships
a child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend to form an expectation that all relationships are as loving and reliable - they will then bring these qualities into future relationships
HOWEVER, a child whose first relationship involves poor treatment will tend to form further poor relationships in which expect such treatment from others or treat others in that way
what is the most important ability the internal working model affects
most importantly the internal working model affects the child’s later ability to be a parent themselves
People tend to base their parenting behaviour on their own experiences of being parented
This explains who children from functional families tend to have similar families themselves
