explanations: bowlby's theory Flashcards
What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
Attachment to one primary caregiver is crucial for a child’s development.
What does ‘monotropic’ mean in Bowlby’s theory?
Mono means ‘one,’ and tropic means ‘leaning towards,’ indicating the importance of one primary attachment.
What is a critical period in attachment theory?
The specific time frame during which an attachment must form.
What did Lorenz and Harlow contribute to the understanding of critical periods?
They noted critical periods for attachment in birds and monkeys.
What is the sensitive period in human attachment?
A period where human babies can form attachments, after which it becomes more difficult.
What is the internal working model?
Mental representations of our relationship with our primary attachment figure, affecting future relationships.
How do babies elicit attachment behaviors from adults?
Through social releasers like smiling and cooing.
Why did Bowlby reject learning theory as an explanation for attachment?
Infants don’t readily attach to whoever feeds them, contrary to what learning theory would suggest.
What evolutionary explanation did Bowlby propose for attachment?
Attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantage, similar to imprinting.
What are the two principles Bowlby put forward to clarify monotropy?
The law of continuity and the law of accumulated separation.
What does the law of continuity state?
The more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of their attachment.
What does the law of accumulated separation state?
Every separation from the mother adds up, and the safest dose is a zero dose.
What are social releasers?
Innate behaviors that encourage attention from adults, activating social interaction.
What is the interplay between baby and adult attachment systems?
It gradually builds the relationship between baby and caregiver.
When is the infant attachment system most active?
Around six months, viewed as a sensitive period.
How does a child form an internal working model?
Through their relationship with their primary attachment figure.
How does early experience with a caregiver affect future relationships?
Loving relationships create expectations of love and reliability, while poor treatment leads to expectations of poor treatment.
How does the internal working model affect parenting?
People base their parenting behavior on their own experiences of being parented.
What is one limitation of Bowlby’s monotropy theory?
It lacks validity because babies form multiple attachments, as found by Schaffer and Emerson.
What evidence supports the role of social releasers?
Studies show babies trigger interactions with adults using cute behaviors.
How do researchers study social releasers?
By instructing primary attachment figures to ignore babies’ social releasers and observing the babies’ distress.
How is the internal working model supported by research?
Studies show attachment relationships are passed from one generation to the next.
What did Heidi Bailey et al. (2007) assess?
Attachment relationships in mothers and their one-year-old babies.
What is a counterpoint to Bowlby’s theory?
Genetic differences in anxiety and sociability also affect social behavior and parenting.
