explanations of attachment: bowlbys theory ao3

Question 1

strength of internal working model - research support

Answer 1

bailey et al 2007
tested the idea that patterns of attachment are passed on through generations due to the internal working model
measured the mothers attachment to their own primary attachment figure and also the attachment quality of the babies
they found mothers with poor attachments to their own primary attachment figure were more likely to have poorly attached babies so thus this supports the idea that mothers ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by their internal working model

Question 2

counterpoint for reseach support for iwm

Answer 2

however it must also be said there are other important influences on social development
some psychologists believe that genetic differences in anxiety and social ability affect social beh in both babies and adults
these diff coulf also impact parenting ability (komienko 2016)
so bowlby may have overstated the importance of iwm in social beh and parenting at the expense of other factors

Question 3

limitation of iwm - mixed ev for monotropy

Answer 3

one limitation is ev remains unclear
bowlby believed that this first attachment was special and unique and that the infant would have been able to form multiple attachments
schaffer and emerson 1964 founf that although most babies still attached to one person first a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time
its also unclear whether there is somtheinf unique ab the first attachment
it does have a stromg influence on later life however this could simply mean its stronger rather than different in quality
this means that bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to the childs primary attachment and this challenges a central concpet of the theory.

Question 4

strength of iwm support for social releasers

Answer 4

there is clesr evidence that the innate cute behaviours shown by babies are desgined to elict interactions from caregivers
brazelton et al 1975 observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social relesers
the reseachers instructed primary attachment figures to ignore their babies social relersers
previosuly responsive babies became increasingly distressed and some curled up on the floor
this illustrates the role of social relesers in emotional dev and suggests that they are important in the process of attachment development