Explanations Of Attachment: Bowlby’s Theory Flashcards
What was Bowlby’s evolutionary explanation of attachment he suggested?
That attachment was an innate system that gives a survival advantage.
Why is Bowlby’s theory described as monotropic?
Because he emphasised a child’s attachment to one particular caregiver.
What did Bowlby believe that the child’s attachment to one caregiver is?
Different and more important than other attachments.
What did Bowlby suggest when a child spent more time with their primary attachment figure?
The better it was for the child:
- Law of continuity - the more predictable a child’s care the better quality of their attachment.
- Law of accumulated separation - the effects of every separation from the mother add p and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose.
What are social releases?
A set of innate ‘cute’ behaviours like smiling, cooing and gripping that encourage attention from adults.
Why are social releasers called social releasers?
Their purpose is to activate adult social interaction and so make an adult attach to the baby.
What did Bowlby recognise attachment as?
Reciprocal - mother and baby are hard-wired to become attached.
What does interplay between a child and primary attachment figure build?
The relationship between baby and caregiver beginning in the early weeks of like - the critical period - 6 months when the infants attachment system is active.
Why did Bowlby view the critical period as a sensitive period?
Because a child is maximally sensitive at 6 months and this could possibly extend up to the age of 2 - if attachment isn’t formed within this time the child will find it much harder to form one later.
Why did Bowlby call the critical period a sensitive period?
Because a child is maximally sensitive at 6 months and this could possibly extend up to the age of 2 - if attachment isn’t formed within this time the child will find it much harder to form one later.
What is an internal working model?
A child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure - serves a model for what relationships are like.
How does the internal working model influence how the child will parent later on?
People tend to base their parenting behaviour on their own experience of being parented which explains why children from functional families have similar families.
Evaluation: lacks validity
Schaffer and Emerson found a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time as attaching to one person. This means that Bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to the child’s primary attachment.
Evaluation: evidence supporting the role of social releasers
Brazelton et al observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers. Babies became increasingly distressed and some eventually curled up and lay motionless. This shows that the role of social releasers in emotional development and suggests they are important in the process of attachment development.
Evaluation: support for the IWM.
Bailey et al assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their one-year old babies. Researchers measured the mother’s attachment to their primary attachment figures and the attachment quality of their babies. They found mothers with poor attachments to their own PAF were more likely to have poorly attached babies. This supports Bowlby’s idea that mothers ability t form attachments to their babies is influenced by their IWM.
Evaluation: there could be other important influences on social development.
Some psychologists believe genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affect social behaviour in babies and adults which could also impact parenting ability. This means that Bowlby’s IWM in social behaviour and parenting at the expense of other factors.
