Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory

Question 1

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory

Answer 1

innate evolutionary explanation that helped aid survival

Question 2

Bowlby’s theory

Parts

Answer 2

Monotropy
Social releasers
Critical period
Internal working model

Question 3

Monotropy

Person

Answer 3

Bowlby’s theory (1958, 1969)

Question 4

Monotropy

Answer 4

└Bowlby’s theory (1958, 1969)= monotropic
└emphasis on childs attachment to one single caregiver/primary attachment figure
└law of continuity: more constant child’s care= better attachment quality
└law of accumulated separation: less separation= better attachment

Question 5

law of continuit

Answer 5

more constant child’s care= better attachment quality

Question 6

law of accumulated separatio

Answer 6

less separation= better attachment

Question 7

Social releasers

Answer 7

└innate ‘cute’ behaviours
└e.g. smiling, gripping
└activate adult attachment system
└reciprocal process

Question 8

Critical period

Answer 8

└2 years- infant attachment system active

└sensitive period- difficult to form attachment after

Question 9

Internal working model

Answer 9

└child forms mental representation of relationship with primary caregiver
└good= good adult relationships/parenting

Question 10

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Strengths
Summary

Answer 10

Support for social releasers - Brazleton et al (1975)

Support for internal working models - Bailey et al (2007)

Question 11

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Strengths
Support for social releasers

Answer 11

└Brazleton et al (1975)
└still face experiment- distress if no response
└infant social behaviour is to elicit caregiving

Question 12

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Strengths
Support for internal working models

Answer 12

└internal working model is testable as it predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed on from one generation to the next
└Bailey et al (2007)
└99 mothers with 1 year old babies
└assessed quality of attachment with their own mothers (standard interview procedure)
└assessed quality of attachment with babies (observation)
└found mothers with bad quality attachments with own mothers had worse with their child
└supports it is passed through generations

Question 13

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Limitations
Summary

Answer 13

Mixed evidence for monotropy - shaffer and emerson (1964), Suess et al (1992)
Monotropy is socially sensitive - Erica Burman (1994)
Temperament may be as important as attachment- Kagan (1982)

Question 14

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Limitations
Mixed evidence for monotropy

Answer 14

└shaffer and emerson (1964)
└some babies formed multiple attachments first
└Suess et al (1992)
└studies shoe attachment to mother is more important in predicting later behaviour
└primary attachment may be stronger not different in quality

Question 15

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Limitations
Monotropy is socially sensitive

Answer 15

└controversial as implications for choices mothers make when children are young
└law of acuminated separation- lime apart from primary caregiver risks poor quality attachment and will disadvantage child in later life
└Erica Burman (1994) and other feminists
└burden on mothers as it makes them to blame for if something goes wrong
└pushes them into lifestyle voices like not returning to work when child is born
└Bowlby thought he was boosting status of mothers by emphasising importance of their role

Question 16

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory
Limitations
Temperament may be as important as attachment

Answer 16

└Bowlbys approach emphasises role of attachment in developing child’s social behaviour
└Temperament is a child’s genetically influenced personality
└Kagan (1982)
└some babies born more anxious or sociable due to genetic make up
└these differences explain later social behaviour rather than attachment experiences
└Bowlby over emphasises the importance of a child’s early experiences and attachment quality