PAPER 1 - ATTACHMENT - bowlby's monotropy theory

Question 1

in Bowlby’s theory of attachment, what did he emphasise about attachment?

Answer 1

• attachment is innate/ instinctive
• it is monotropic
• importance of early attachment relationships for future relationships (continuity hypothesis)
• importance of timing of attachment (critical/ sensitive period)

Question 2

why did Bowlby suggest that attachment was adaptive?

Answer 2

• he argued that both the mother and infant have a biological need to stay in contact
  -suggested that we are born with certain behaviours that ensure proximity and closeness (smiling, crying etc.)
• attachment promotes survival and reproductive success

Question 3

what type of perspective is Bowlby’s Theory?

Answer 3

evolutionary perspective

Question 4

why is attachment adaptive?

Answer 4

• if an attachment has been formed it is more likely to be well cared for and protected when they are young and defenceless
• developed a template for how to have relationships later on in life - promotes survival and reproduction

Question 5

who supports Bowlby’s idea of attachment being adaptive?

Answer 5

Harlow - monkeys tendency to cling to mothers from birth - innate and for survival

Question 6

what is Bowlby’s concept of Monotropy?

Answer 6

refers to the innate tendency to become strongly attached to one individual (generally the mother/ mother figure)

Question 7

what is the internal working model and continuity hypothesis?

Answer 7

• internal working model is the template for future relationships, through their first relationship (develops beliefs about themselves)
• this is known as the continuity hypothesis

Question 8

what is the crucial/ sensitive period for attachment?

Answer 8

between 3-6 months
outside of this it is very hard if not impossible to form an attachment

Question 9

how was Bowlby’s theory tested?

Answer 9

strange situation

Question 10

should it be called ‘sensitive period’ rather than ‘critical’ period for attachment to occur?

Answer 10

psychologists have studied children and they suggest that it is not impossible or attachments to form outside of this window and so changed it to ‘sensitive’ period

Question 11

what evidence is there to suggest secondary attachments have a role in development?

Answer 11

• multiple attachments model proposes that all attachments are integrated into one single internal working model - contradicts Bowlby
• Bowlby does suggest that secondary attachments contribute to social development
  Grossman &Grossman support Bowlby

Question 12

what is Kagan’s ‘temperament hypothesis’?

Answer 12

• proposes that an infants innate emotional personality (temperament) may explain attachment behaviour
  -easy temperament - more likely to be strongly attached as its easier to form an attachment

Question 13

who supported the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 13

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Question 14

what did Hazan and Shaver carry out?

Answer 14

• the love quiz by advertising for participants to give information about their early childhood attachments and later relationships
• they randomly selected a total of 600 participants from responses they got

Question 15

what did Hazan and Shaver find?

Answer 15

• strong relationship between childhood attachment type and adult attachment type
• anxious avoidant types doubted the existence of love and felt a happy relationship was not necessary to enjoy life

Question 16

who criticised the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 16

Zimmerman (2000)

Question 17

how did Zimmerman (2000) contradict the continuity hypothesis?

Answer 17

carried out a longitudinal study of 44 children in Germany, assessing attachments at 12-18 months & then 16 years old they were interviewed - life events were recorded