Theories of Attachment Flashcards
Theories of Attachment
- Bowlby’s theory (evolutionary)
- Learning theories
Shaffer
- According to Shaffer, an attachment is “a close emotional relationship between two persons, characterised by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity.”
- Nearly all children have an attachment to someone else (even if they have been abused) what differs is the TYPE of attachment.
John Bowbly - Evolutionary Theory
- Bowlby put forward an important theory of attachment
- He saw humans as being just like other animals - we need an INNATE tendency to form attachments with a caregiver.
- This tendency gives us an ADAPTIVE ADVANTAGE, i.e. makes it morel likely that we will survive.
Bowlby’s theory of attachment
Argues that attachment is INNATE, adaptive and RECIPROCAL. The primary attachment relationship creates proximity seeking behaviour and provides an internal working model of relationships. The primary attachment figure offers a secure base for exploration. Social releasers are an essential part of the attachment process as they strengthen relationships.
Bowlby’s Theory anagram
ASCMI
Evolutionary Theory - A
ADAPTIVE
- Babies have an INNATE drive to attach
- Attachments are Adaptive
- This means they make the infant more likely to survive
- This is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they are kept safe, given food and kept warm.
Evolutionary Theory - S
SOCIAL RELEASERS
- Babies have Social releasers, which ‘unlock’ the innate the tendency of adults to care for them. They strengthen attachments.
- These Social releasers are both:
1. Physical - the typical ‘baby face’ features and body proportions - Baby face hypothesis
2. Behavioural - e.g. crying, cooing, smiling et. - Factors that strengthen attachment.
Evolutionary Theory - C
CRITICAL PERIOD
- Babies have to form the attachment with their caregiver during a Critical period.
- This is between birth and 2 1/2 / 3 years old or they may be emotionally damaged.
- Since been replaced with a sensitive period (3-6 months)
Evolutionary Theory - M
MONOTROPY
- Bowlby believed that infants form one very special attachment with their mother
- This secial, intense attachment is called Monotropy
- If the mother isn’t available, the infant could bond with another ever-present, adult, mother-substitute.
Evolutionary Theory - I
INTERNAL WORKING MODEL
- Through the monotropic attachment, the infant would form an Internal Working Model
- This is a special mental schema for relationships
- All the child’s future adult relationships will be based on this. Continuity Hypothesis
Bowlby suggested
- Bowlby suggested that infants are most attached to one primary caregiver. Quality rather than quantity of care is important.
- The sensitivity of the caregiver ss also important
- Any essay with Bowlby needs this!!!
Supportive evidence for Bowlby
- Harlow’s Monkey
- Hazan and Shaver’s love quiz
- Tronick - Efe Tribe in Zaire
Tronick - Efe Tribe in Zaire
Most women spend all their time working as a result babies looked after in groups by specially selected women who change them, keep them clean and breast feed them yet infants in this tribe are still more strongly attached to their mothers because when she does spend time with them she is most sensitive to their need.
- Supporting Bowlby theory - quality not quantity
Harlow’s Monkeys 1959
Choice of two mothers
- A wire mother who did the feeding
- Or a cloth mother
- They became most attached to the cloth mother, but never formed a real attachment
Harlow’s study
- Harlow’s study seems to support the notion that love and warmth are more important to attachment than food.
- It has had important ‘ real life’ implications. As a result implications. As a result of Harlow’s study, babies in incubators were given cloth blankets as comforters.
- Although humans and animals share similarities in behaviours it is difficult to generalise the results to humans as humans demonstrate higher order thinking skills and complex emotional intelligence.
