Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

• What did Bowlby believe about attachment?

  It is innate and crucial for survival
• Why are humans pre-programmed to attach?

  It is vital for our survival
• What does monotropy refer to in Bowlby's theory?

  The need for one main attachment
• What are the key components of Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment?

  • Adaptive
  • Social Releasers
  • Critical Period
  • Monotropy
  • Internal Working Model
• How do attachments provide an adaptive advantage?

  They increase chances of survival
• What do social releasers do?

  They trigger adults' caregiving instincts
• What are the two types of social releasers?

  Physical and Behavioral
• What is the critical period for forming attachments?

  Between birth and 2-3 years
• What is the significance of the internal working model?

  It shapes future relationships
• What does Bowlby suggest about time spent with the primary caregiver?

  It should be maximized
• What are the Laws related to attachment according to Bowlby?

  • Law of Continuity: Consistent care improves attachment quality
  • Law of Accumulated Separation: Every separation adds up negatively
• What did Brazelton et al (1975) find about babies when ignored?

  They became distressed and motionless
• What did Bailey et al (2007) assess in their study?

  The attachment quality of mothers and babies
• What was the finding of Bailey et al (2007) regarding mothers' relationships?

  Poor relationships lead to poor attachments
• What evidence supports the role of social releasers?

  • Cute baby behaviors elicit caregiver interaction
  • Brazelton et al (1975) showed distress when ignored
• What supports the internal working model concept?

  • Bailey et al (2007) found links between mothers' and babies' attachments
  • Mothers' past relationships influence current attachment quality
• What do some psychologists believe about other influences on social development?

  Genetic differences affect social behavior
• How did Schaffer & Emerson (1964) challenge Bowlby's idea of monotropy?

  Many babies form multiple attachments simultaneously
• What does the research suggest about the quality of the first attachment?

  It may be stronger but not different in quality
• What is a strength for Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?

  Support for Social Releasers

  • There is evidence that cute baby behaviours are designed to elicit interaction from caregivers
  • Brazelton et al (1975) observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers and when the primary caregivers were instructed to ignore the babies’ social releasers, the babies became increasingly distressed and eventually curled up and laid motionless
  • This illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development and suggests that they are important in the process of attachment development
• What is a strength for Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?

  Support for Internal Working Model

  • Bailey et al (2007) assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their 1-year old babies in which they measured the mothers’ attachment to their own primary attachment figures and the attachment quality of the babies
  • They found that mothers with poor attachment to their own attachment figures were more likely to have poorly attached babies
  • This supports Bowlby’s idea that mothers’ ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by their internal working models
• What is a limitation for Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?

  Other Factors?

  • There are probably other important influences on social development
  • For example, some psychologists believe that genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affect social behaviour in both babies and adults and these differences could also impact their parenting abilities
  • This means that Bowlby may have overstated the importance of the internal working model in social behaviour and parenting at the expense of other factors
• What is a limitation for Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?

  Validity of Monotropy Challenged

  • Schaffer & Emerson (1964) found that although almost most babies did attach to one person at first, a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time
  • Although the first attachment does appear to have a strong influence on later behaviour, this may mean it is just stronger rather than different in quality
  • This means that Bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to the child’s primary attachment