Explanations Of Attachment: Bowlby's Theory

Question 1

Theory

Answer 1

Described as monotropic as he placed great emphasis on child’s attachment to one particular caregiver. Also said that attachment was different and most important. Called this figure the mother even thought it doesnt have to be the biological mother.

Question 2

2 Principles

Answer 2

Law of continuity and Law of accumulated separation

Question 3

Law of continuity

Answer 3

The more constant and predictable a child’s care the better the attachment quality.

Question 4

Law of Accumulated Separation

Answer 4

Effects of every separation from mother add up and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose.

Question 5

Social releasers

Answer 5

Babies are born with cute behaviours: cooing, etc. that encourages attention from adults: social releasers. This makes the adult feel love towards baby and activates adult attachment system. Attachment was reciprocal.

Question 6

Critical/Sensitive Period

Answer 6

Sensitive at age of 2 and if attachment isnt formed at this time, harder to form one after

Question 7

Internal Working Model

Answer 7

Child forms a mental representation of relationship with caregiver: internal working model. It serves as a model for what relationships are like and has an effect on the nature of the child’s future relationships.

Question 8

Strength

Answer 8

Support for social releasers. Evidence that cute behaviour initiates social interaction and doing so is important for the baby. When there was an exp where primary attachment figure ignores the baby i.e. ignore the social releasers, babies got distressed and curled up and lying motionless.

Question 9

Strength (Bailey et al)

Answer 9

Support for internal working models. Patterns of attachment will be passed on from 1 generation to next. He did an exp to test this and found that mothers who reported poor attachments to their own parents were more likely to have children classified as poor according to observations.

Question 10

Weakness

Answer 10

Mixed evidence for monotropy. Bowlby said that after you form the primary attachment then babies can form multiple attachments. However Schaffer and Emerson said a few babies can form them at the same time.

Question 11

Weakness

Answer 11

Monotropy is a socially sensitive idea. If mothers spend time apart from babies for a long time then it has a negative effect on baby’s future life. This means mothers have to take the blame and sets a huge responsibilty for them. Also makes mother not go to work when baby is born. Not Bowlby’s intention as he only wanted boost status of mother by emphasising important of mother’s role.