Explanations for attachment - bowlbys monotropic theory

Question 1

What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 1

Infants have an inbuilt tendency to make an initial attachment with one attachment figure, usually the mother

Question 2

According to Bowlby, who do infants form attachments with?

Answer 2

Those who will ensure their survival

Question 3

How has evolution aided the formation of attachments?

Answer 3

Through evolution, infants developed a control system to maintain closeness to the caregiver who will ensure their survival

Question 4

When does the formation of attachments link back to?

Answer 4

Stone Age times when infants would attach to caregivers so they could be protected from predators

Question 5

What does Bowlby believe babies maintaining closeness to caregivers is?

Answer 5

Inbuilt and an evolutionary advantage

Question 6

What are social releasers?

Answer 6

Techniques used by infants to ensure proximity to caregiver

Question 7

What are some examples of social releasers?

Answer 7

Crying

Smiling

Question 8

How does Lorenz’ findings support Bowlby’s ideas about an innate tendency to form attachments?

Answer 8

Lorenz found that animals have an innate tendency to respond quickly and consistently to specific forms of stimuli and stay close to those producing them

Question 9

What is the issue with using Lorenz’ findings to tell us about human attachments?

Answer 9

Lorenz used animals (geese) so its hard to extrapolate the findings to humans as we are different species

Question 10

What did Schaffer and Emerson discuss about the innate nature of attachments?

Answer 10

They found that attachments form due to sensitive responsiveness

Question 11

How many primary attachments does Bowlby believe infants will form?

Answer 11

one, usually the mother and all others will be seen as secondary

Question 12

What did Schaffer and Emerson find about the number of attachments an infant will form?

Answer 12

They found an infant will form multiple attachments which disputes Bowlby’s monotropic theory, however they found that the mother will be the primary one

Question 13

What percentage of children did Schaffer and Emerson find that their main attachment figure was not their main carer?

Answer 13

39%

Question 14

What does Bowlby’s research suggest about fathers?

Answer 14

They are a minor attachment figure

Undermines the role of the father which is important

Question 15

What is the internal working model?

Answer 15

The first attachment an infant forms, forms a template for all future relationships

Question 16

What is the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 16

The primary caregiver provides the foundations for the child’s future relationships

Question 17

What will happen if there are disruptions to the first attachment?

Answer 17

There will be negative consequences later on in life

Question 18

What did Bowlby find about the critical period?

Answer 18

Found that any attachments formed after 2 to 3 and a half years old were useless

Question 19

What was the impact to the economy of Bowlby’s monotropic theory in the 1950’s?

Answer 19

There was an increase in the amount of women staying at home to mother their children - fewer women were going to work

Question 20

What did Rutter (1981) find?

Answer 20

Mothers are not special in the way Bowlby believed
Infants display a range of attachment behaviour towards attachment figures other than their mothers and there is no particular attachment behaviour used specifically and exclusively towards mothers

Question 21

What did Lamb (1982) find?

Answer 21

Studied attachments infants had with people like fathers and grandparents and siblings and found that infants had different attachments for different purposes rather than attachments being a hierarchy