Explanations of attachment (Bowlby's theory) Flashcards
1
Q
Why is Bowlby’s theory described as monotropic
A
- because he placed a lot of emphasis on a child’s attachment to one particular caregiver
2
Q
What two principle did Bowlby put forward to explain the monotropic theory
A
- the law of continuity;
- the law of accumulated separation
3
Q
Define what the law of continuity states
A
- it states that the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of their attachment
4
Q
Define what the law of accumulated separation states
A
- it states that the effects of separation from the mother add up ‘safest does is therefore a zero dose’
5
Q
What to Bowlby was the purpose of social releasers
A
- they are innate
- purpose is to activate the adult attachment system so that the infant has a larger chance of survival
6
Q
What was the critical period in which Bowlby proposed
A
- two years when the infant attachment system is active
- Bowlby viewed this as a more sensitive period
7
Q
What is the internal working model
A
- your schema of what relationships are/ how they are meant to be
- these mental representations are made in early childhood
- if this schema is flawed due to neglect, abuse or many other factors the child can find it harder to form strong and secure relationships in the future
- they may also find it harder to parent
8
Q
Outline the support for social releasers
A
- Brazleton et al observed mothers and babies during their interaction
- they found that when the primary caregivers ignored the babies’ signals for an interaction some after a while started curling up or lying motionless
9
Q
What study shows that there is mixed evidence for the monotropic theory
A
- Schaffer and Emerson’s study, they found that there was one main primary caregiver at first but the the baby made multiple attachments
10
Q
What is another limitation of the monotropic theory
A
- Unclear whether the primary attachments are more unique than the others
