Explanations of attachment: Bowlby's theory

Question 1

Why did Bowlby reject learning theory & what did he propose instead?

Answer 1

• if learning theory was a valid explanation for attachment an infant would attach themselves to whoever feeds them which isn’t the case
• he proposed an evolutionary explanation that attachment was an innate that gave a survival advantage
• e.g. imprinting & attachment evolved since they ensure that young animals were close to their caregiver which protects them from hazards

Question 2

What are the key features of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 2

• adaptive
• monotropy
• social releasers
• critical period
• internal working model

Question 3

Why is monotropy a key feature of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 3

• his theory is described as monotropic as he emphasises that a child has an attachment to a particular caregiver that is different & more important than others
• Bowlby believed that the more time spent with this primary attachment figure the better

Question 4

What were Bowlby’s 2 principles he put forward to clarify monotropy?

Answer 4

• law of continuity states that the more constant & predictable a child’s care is the better the quality of attachment
• law of accumulated separation states that the effects of every separation from the mother add up so should be avoided or reduced

Question 5

Why are social releasers a key feature of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 5

• he believed babies are born with a set of innate behaviours (e.g. smiling & gripping) that encourage attention from adults
• these behaviours are called social releasers as their purpose is to activate the adult attachment system
• attachment is a reciprocal process so both mother & baby have an innate tendency to become attached
• social releasers trigger responses from caregivers

Question 6

Why is the critical period a key feature of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 6

• critical period for infants is around 2 years according to Bowlby when the attachment system is active
• a child is maximally sensitive at 2 & if attachment is not formed during this time it is harder to form one later

Question 7

Why is the internal working model a key feature of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 7

• Bowlby proposed that infants form a mental representation of their relationship with their caregiver called the internal working model
• this therefore has a large effect on the nature of the child’s future relationships
• e.g. if a child’s first relationship is loving they will form an expectation that all relationships are like that
• IWM also affects the child’s ability to parent themselves since parenting usually depends on how the individual was parented themselves

Question 8

Evaluation: Mixed evidence for monotropy

Answer 8

• idea of monotropy by Bowlby isn’t supported by Schaffer & Emerson
• they found that most babies attached to one person first & then formed multiple attachments at the same time
• it’s unclear whether there’s something unique about the first attachment
• attachment to mother is usually more important to infants than to father but this doesn’t mean that quality of attachment is different but only that attachment to primary attachment figure is stronger

Question 9

Evaluation: Support for social releasers

Answer 9

• clear evidence shows that certain infant behaviour have the purpose to initiate social interaction and are important to babies
• Brazleton et al. observed the existence of interactional synchrony between mothers & babies
• observation was then extended and mothers were asked to ignore their babies’ signals (social releasers)
• babies initially showed distress & after still being ignored started to lay motionless
• responding so strongly supports Bowlby’s idea of the importance of social releasers for an infant & responses from their caregivers

Question 10

Evaluation: Support for internal working models

Answer 10

• idea of IWMs is testable as it suggests that patterns of attachment are passed on from generations
• Bailey et al. assessed 99 mothers with 1 year old babies on the quality of their attachment using a standard interview
• researchers also observed attachment of babies to their mothers during the interview
• they found that mothers who had poor quality attachment to their parents had poor attachments to their children
• this supports the idea of IWM of attachment being passed through families

Question 11

Evaluation: Temperament may be as important as attachment

Answer 11

• Bowlby emphasises the role of attachment in children’s social behaviour but the role of temperament is also emphasised in social behaviour
• temperament is the child’s genetically influenced personality
• e.g. temperament researchers suggest that some babies are more anxious than others & some are more social due to their genetic makeup
• temperament explains social behaviour more than attachment experiences
• Bowlby over-emphasises importance of child’s early experiences & quality of their attachment