Explanations of ATT - Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

Question 1

What is attachment?

Answer 1

It is a strong emotional reciprocal bond between the infant & the primary caregiver.

Question 2

Bowlby’s Evolutionary Theory

Answer 2

1) His theory is an evolutionary theory - views attachment as a behaviour that has evolved because of its survival value.
2) Infants are born with innate drive to become attached to a caregiver.
3) Attaching to a CG –> infant will be fed & protected –> therefore attachment is an adaptive behaviour (it increases the likelihood of survival).

Question 3

Monotropic Theory

Answer 3

1) Theory is described as monotropic because of the emphasis on the child’s attachment to one caregiver. This attachment is different from others & is more important.

2) Believed that the more time a baby spends with primary attachment figure the stronger the attachment.

Question 4

Bowlby’s 6 Main Points

Answer 4

1) Critical Period
2) Caregiving is adaptive
3) A secure base
4) Monotropy & Hierarchy
5) Internal Working Model
6) The continuity hypothesis

Question 5

1) Sensitive Period

Answer 5

IT IS NOT THE CRITICAL PERIOD

6-9 months old is when infants are most sensitive to the development of attachments. If an attachment has not formed from 6 months - 2yrs it will be much harder to form one later on.

Question 6

2) Critical Period

Answer 6

Infants have a window from birth to around 2 1/2 - 3 years to form an attachment.

Question 7

3) Caregiving is Adaptive

Answer 7

Infants are born equipped with social releasers which elicit caregiving. (e.g. crying, smiling, facial features).
–> these help activate adult social interaction.
–> Bowlby recognised attachment is a reciprocal system.

Question 8

4) A secure Base

Answer 8

Attachment is important for protection. Caregiver acts as a secure base from which a child can explore from & have a safe haven to return to when threatened - attachment fosters independence not dependence.

Question 9

5) Monotropy & Hierarchy

Answer 9

• Monotropy - the bias towards one individual, the primary attachment figure.
• Infants have other secondary attachment figures that form a hierarchy of attachments.
• The one special attachment is the one who responds most sensitively to their social releaser.

Question 10

6) The Continuity Hypothesis

Answer 10

The child forms a mental representation (Internal Working Model) of the relationship with their primary attachment figure. It serves as a template for what relationships are like.

—> this leads to the continuity hypo - the view that there is a link between the early attachment relationship & later emotional behaviour.

e.g. A child whose first experience is a loving relationship with caregiver –> tend to form an expectation that relations will be loving. It could also affect the child’s ability to become a parent themselves.

Question 11

What is an Internal Working Model

Answer 11

Internal Working Model: a template for all other relations & it means there is a consistency between early emotional experiences & later relationships.

Question 12

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

Answer 12

MDH - If a child doesn’t form an attachment withing the critical period or if attachment is disrupted. –> B argues this will result in serious long-term developmental consequences later in life.

Question 13

Privation / Deprivation

Answer 13

Privation: the child had no opportunity to form an attachment.

Deprivation: the attachment was formed then broken.

Question 14

Brazelton et al. (Research Support) - SR

Answer 14

1) There is evidence supporting the role of social releasers.

–> Brazelton et al. instructed primary CG to ignore their babies’ social releasers.
–> Babies (who were normally responsive) initially showed some distress, but eventually some curled up & lay motionless.
–> Supports the idea that social releasers play an important role in attachment development.

Question 15

Bailey et al. (Research Support) - IWM

Answer 15

1) Support for the idea of the internal working model.

–> Idea of IWM predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one gen to another.
–> Bailey et al. studied 99 mothers, those with poor attachment to their own parents were more likely to have one-year-olds who were poorly attached.
–> Supports Bowlby’s idea of IWM of attachment as it is being passed through families.

Question 16

Counterpoint for IWM

Answer 16

There are other influences on social development - e.g. a baby’s genetically-influenced personality is important in the development of social behaviour, including later parenting style.
–> Suggest Bowlby overemphasised the importance of IWM in development.

Question 17

Limitation of Concept of Monotropy

Answer 17

1) Lacks validity - relationships with primary AF may simply be stronger than other attachments rather than different in quality.

–> Other family members may develop attachments with the baby that have the same qualities.
–> So Bowlby may have been wrong to suggest that there is a unique quality to a child’s primary attachment.

Question 18

Other Weaknesses

Answer 18

1) Ignores role of the father
2) Socially sensitive research
3) Nomothetic view of attachment - doesn’t take into account …
4) Importance of monotropy is overemphasised.
5) Extremely deterministic.