Explanations of ATT - Bowlby's Monotropic Theory Flashcards
What is attachment?
It is a strong emotional reciprocal bond between the infant & the primary caregiver.
Bowlby’s Evolutionary Theory
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).
Monotropic Theory
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.
Bowlby’s 6 Main Points
1) Critical Period
2) Caregiving is adaptive
3) A secure base
4) Monotropy & Hierarchy
5) Internal Working Model
6) The continuity hypothesis
1) Sensitive Period
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.
2) Critical Period
Infants have a window from birth to around 2 1/2 - 3 years to form an attachment.
3) Caregiving is Adaptive
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.
4) A secure Base
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.
5) Monotropy & Hierarchy
- 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.
6) The Continuity Hypothesis
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.
What is an Internal Working Model
Internal Working Model: a template for all other relations & it means there is a consistency between early emotional experiences & later relationships.
Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis
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.
Privation / Deprivation
Privation: the child had no opportunity to form an attachment.
Deprivation: the attachment was formed then broken.
Brazelton et al. (Research Support) - SR
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.
Bailey et al. (Research Support) - IWM
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.
