lesson 6- Bowlby's monotropic theory

Question 1

why attachments form

Answer 1

-instinct that has evolved because it increases chances of both baby’s survival and parents passing on their genes, adaptive
-infants who are attached to their caregiver will stay close to them and so are well protected and will survive, parents who are attached to their children will ensure they are well cared for and so survive meaning they successfully pass on their genes

Question 2

how attachments form

Answer 2

-infants have innate drive to become attached to an adult, usually have critical period in which they must occur or they never will
-critical period for attachment is 2 years of age, infanta who do not have the opportunity to form an attachment during this time will have difficulty forming attachments later on
-Bowlby proposed that attachment is determined by the caregivers sensitivity, infants who are most strongly attached tend to have a caregiver who is responsive, co-operative and more accessible then less closely attached figures
-Bowlby argued that infants will have one special emotional bond, monotropy, often with biological mother but not always, also form secondary attachments, that also provide an important emotional safety net and are vital for healthy psychological and social development

Question 3

consequences of attachment

Answer 3

-monotropy, infant uses relationship to form internal working model
-secure relationships in childhood ensure positive working model and means that current and future relationships will be positive and secure
-continuity hypothesis, individuals who are securely attached in infancy continue to be socially and emotional competent, secure childhood leads to positive internal working model

Question 4

evaluation (5 weaknesses)

Answer 4

-S&E (1964) suggest that multiple attachments are more common in babies than monotropy, by 18 months only 13% of infants had only one person they were attached to
-Erica Burman/feminists point out that idea of monotropy is socially sensitive, places burden of responsibility on mothers setting them up to take blame for anything that goes wrong in their Childs life, puts pressure on mother to stay home and give up careers, also underestimated role of father, saw it as primarily economic outdated sexist view, many families view both parents as equally responsible for childcare, in many father is primary caregiver
-Tizard and Hidges (1989) found children who had never formed any attachments by the age of four and were then adopted could still form attachments to their new adopted parents, goes against idea of critical period
-impossible to test bowlby’s argument that attachment has persisted in the same form throughout evolutionary history, unscientific
-Kegan (1984) disagreed with Bowlby about quality of attachment being determined by caregiver sensitivity, explained attachment in terms of innate temperament, some infants better suited to forming attachments due to their innate characteristics
-Rovine (1987) found infants who had been judged to have signs of behavioural instability between 1 and 3 days old were later more likely to have an insecure attachment