Explanations of Attachment - Bowlby's theory

Question 1

What did Bowlby’s mono tropic theory establish

Answer 1

• attachment is innate, monotropic relates to having one caregiver

Question 2

What two laws did Bowlby establish

Answer 2

• Law of continuity (constant care > better quality)
• Law of accumulated separation (affects of each separation add up)

Question 3

What are and what do social releasers do

Answer 3

• Innate behaviours activating adult social interaction

Question 4

What critical period did Bowlby establish

Answer 4

• Two years (sensitive period), if a child has not formed an attachment within this time it will be much harder to form later

Question 5

What does a babies first attachment form ?

Answer 5

• Internal working model of attachment which affects ability to create and maintain relationships when older

Question 6

EV 1 - Lacks validity

Answer 6

• Primary attachment may be stronger rather than different as Bowlby believed, other family members may too develop attachments with the baby that have the same qualities
• Wrong in suggesting that there is unique quality to primary attachment figure

Question 7

EV 2 - Evidence supporting social releasers

Answer 7

• Brazelton et al, primary attachment figures to ignore babies SR
• Initially showed distress, eventually laying motionless
• supports importance of social releasers in attachment development

Question 8

EV 3 - Support of internal working model

Answer 8

• IWM predicts patterns of attachment will be passed down
• Bailey et al studied mothers poorly attached to own parents, more likely to have 1yr old who were poorly attached
• Supports idea of IWM being passed on