monotropic theory, strange sitch, mat dep Flashcards
Bowlbys theory of attachment
Innate process
Based on evolution - staying close to caregivers provides us with safety and protection. These needs are innate
Monotropy
Places emphasis on child’s attachment to ONE particular caregiver
Bowlby stated that this was the mother but this didn’t necessarily need to be the biological mother
Law of continuity
The more constant a child’s care the better the quality of attachment
Law of accumulated separation
Bowlby argued that effects of separation add up. These effects would have a negative effect on the child. Safest option would be to not separate them.
Social releasers
A set of innate ‘cue’ behaviours eg smiling that encourage attention from caregivers
Critical period
Time within an attachment must form
In first 2 years of life
After this critical period has passed the baby will have difficulty forming attachments in later life
Internal working model
Children form a mental representation of their relationship with their primary caregiver
It provides a model for all future relationships
If the child forms a positive first internal representation then the child will form a similar expectation for all future relationships
Impacts on child’s ability to be parents at later date
Evaluation of monotropic theory
Strength
Evidence for internal working models
P: there is evidence to suggest internal working models exist
E: evidence for those internal models in predicting future patterns of relationships. Studies found that mothers who reported poor childhood relationships were more likely to have poor relationships with their own children
C: suggests that internal working models are passed through generations
Evaluation of monotropic theory
Strength
Evidence for social releasers
P: evidence to suggest at that children do display social releasers
E: clear evidence that babies show cue behaviours eg smiling. Research from interactional synchrony eg Meltzoff + Moore proved this. The babies copied the facial changes in the researcher
C: it’s argued that by doing this the child is eliciting attention from caregiver and displaying this type of behaviour is an example of a social releasers
Evaluation of monotropic theory
Limitation
Socially sensitive
P: some of Bowlbys ideas about attachment are socially sensitive
E: Bowlby states that mothers have main responsibility in forming and maintaining the 1st attachment with child. So they are to blame if things go wrong with attachment - unfair
C: research puts mothers under pressure to make decisions related to the upbringing of their child. So mother may not be able to go back to work which creates financial difficulties
Evaluation of monotropic theory
Limitation
1st attachment acts as guide may be false
P: the idea that the first attachment acts as a guide for all future attachments may be false
E: may be other factors that determine whether people have good attachments in later life eg bullying, separation etc
C: fails to take into account these ideas. So we could say that idea of internal working models are reductionist
The strange situation
Used to measure attachment types in children aged 9-18 months
Set into 3 minute stages: mother and child, stranger enters, parent leaves, parent returns, parent leaves, stranger enters, parent returns
Characteristics of insecure avoidant
Little stranger anxiety, little separation anxiety, little need or want for comfort
22% of infants with this type of
Characteristics of secure attachment
Moderate stranger anxiety - not comforted by stranger
Moderate separation anxiety, comforted at reunion
66% of infants with this type of
Characteristics of insecure resistant
Severe stranger anxiety, severe separation anxiety, resists comfort when reunited with caregiver
12% infants with this attachment type
Strength of strange situation
Inter rater reliability
P: it has good inter rater reliability
E: inter rater reliability is where 2 or more researchers observe the same event but work separately. Before observation the researchers agree on behavioural category eg stranger anxiety. Once it’s complete they compare results with aim to have an 80% similarity rate. Ainsworth found this
C: findings are reliable in observing behaviours in the strange situation
Strength of strange situation
Later development
P. Used to predict later development
E: research found that children who have secure attachments tend to develop better eg friendships. But children who have insecure resistant tend to develop less well eg being bullied. Insecure avoidant - bullies
C: suggests findings have high validity
Limitation of strange situation
Sample
P: the sample they used
E: all children used in study were from US. sample is ethnocentric so we can’t generalise the findings to diff countries/cultures
C: cultural differences may affect type of attachment we form with our mothers. We can criticise Ainsworths work as being culturally biased
Limitation of strange situation
More attachment styles
P: modern research suggests there are actually 4 attachment styles rather than the 3 suggested by Ainsworth
E: studies revealed there was a small minority of children who didn’t fit into either of the three attachment styles. Disorganised attachment - where a child shows a combination of both insecure avoidant and resistant
C: Ainsworths work is proven to be not accurate and is outdated
Culture refers to
The norms and values that exist within a group of people
Cultural variations refers to
The differences in those norms and values that exist between different groups
Culture and attachment
1. Individualistic
Western cultures such as UK, USA and Europe
Values independence and importance of the individual
Culture and attachment
2. Collectivist
Classed as non western cultures and include places such as Japan, India, Israel and china
Emphasises importance of the group and often involve a greater amount of sharing eg large families living and working together
Studies of cultural variation
Van Ijzendoorn et al
Procedure
Meta analysis of 32 studies that used strange situation
Conducted in 8 countries- UK, Sweden, Japan, Netherlands, USA, Israel, Germany and china
Looked at the 3 attachment types and their tendency in each country
