Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory Flashcards
What type of explanation for attachment did Bowlby propose?
An evolutionary explanation—attachment is an innate system that increases chances of survival.
What does “monotropy” mean in Bowlby’s theory?
A child’s attachment to one particular caregiver (usually the mother) is more important than any others.
What is the law of continuity?
The more constant and predictable the care, the better the quality of attachment.
What is the law of accumulated separation?
Each separation from the primary caregiver adds up; “the safest dose is therefore a zero dose.”
What are social releasers?
Innate baby behaviours (e.g. smiling, cooing) that trigger caregiving responses from adults.
What is the purpose of social releasers?
To encourage adult attention and activate the attachment system in both baby and caregiver.
What is Bowlby’s critical period for attachment?
Attachment must form during a sensitive period around 6 months to 2 years, or it may be harder to form later.
What is the internal working model?
A mental representation of the child’s first attachment, shaping expectations for future relationships.
How does the internal working model influence later parenting?
People tend to base their own parenting on their early attachment experiences—creating intergenerational patterns.
Why did Bowlby reject learning theory?
Because if it were true, babies would attach to anyone who feeds them—but this clearly isn’t the case.
limitation of BOWLBY’S THEORY
One limitation of Bowlby’s theory is that the concept of monotropy lacks validity.
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that although most babies did attach to one person at first, a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time. Also, although the first attachment does appear to have a particularly strong influence on later behaviour, this may simply mean it is stronger, not necessarily different in quality from the child’s other attachments. For example other attachments to family members provide all the same key qualities (emotional support, a safe base etc).
This means that Bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to the child’s primary attachment.
strength (1) of BOWLBY’S THEORY
One strength of Bowlby’s theory is the evidence supporting the role of social releasers.
There is clear evidence that cute baby behaviours are designed to elicit interaction from caregivers. T. Berry Brazelton et al. (1975) observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers. The researchers then instructed the babies’ primary attachment figures to ignore their babies’ social releasers. Babies (who were previously shown to be normally responsive) became increasingly distressed and some eventually curled up and lay motionless.
This illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development and suggests that they are important in the process of attachment development.
strength (2) of BOWLBY’S THEORY
A further strength of Bowlby’s theory is support for the internal working model.
The idea of the internal working model predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next. Heidi Bailey et al. (2007) assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their one-year-old babies. The researchers measured the mothers’ attachment to their own primary attachment figures (i.e. their parents). The researchers also assessed the attachment quality of the babies. They found that mothers with poor attachment to their own primary attachment figures were more likely to have poorly attached babies.
This supports Bowlby’s idea that mothers’ ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by their internal working models (which in turn comes from their own early attachment experiences).
