Bowlby's theory for attachment

• Bowlbys theory of attachment: Attachments are an instinctive way to survive. Keeping the infant close to the person who feeds and protects it. Parents have an innate drive to care for their infant.
• Parts of Bowlby's theory for attachment:

  • Adaptive & innate
  • Social releasers
  • Montropy
  • Secure base
  • Critical period
  • Internal working model
• Critical period - a biologically determined time for attachment to develop. Bowlby believed this was 3-6 months
• Internal working model - group of concepts that create a template for future relationships
• Secure base - infants can explore as they have their parent for safety
• Social releasers - a social behaviour or characteristic that elicits caregiving & leads to attachment ( big eyes )
• Monotropy - a primary attachment which is of special significance in emotional development
• Bowlby's theory for attachment AO3:

  • ❌ Schaffer & Emerson - 65% had their mother as their primary attachment - if Bowlby was right 100% would
  • ✅ Support from Harlow's monkeys - spports the sensitive period, internal working model & the continuity theory
  • ✅ Support for continuity hypothesis - securely attached infants became social, popular adults
  • ❌ Sensitive period instead of critical - romanian orphans were able to form attachments after 6 months with suitable care. Sensitive period is when it is less likely that attachments will form but not impossible.
• Bowlby's theory for attachment AO3:

  • ❌ Schaffer & Emerson
  • ✅ Support from Harlow's monkeys
  • ✅ Support for continuity hypothesis
  • ❌ Sensitive period instead of critical
• Parts of Bowlby's theory of attachment:

  • Adaptive & innate
  • Social releasers - social behaviour or characteristic which elicits caregiving & leads to attachment
  • Monotropy - a primary attachment which is significant in emotional development
  • Secure base - infant can explore as they have their parent for safety
  • Critical period - a biologically determined period of time for attachment to develop. Bowlby belived this was 3-6 months
  • Internal working model - a group of concepts that create a template for future relationships
• Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment:

  Attachment is an adaptive & innate behaviour that evolved to increase an infant's chances of survival. Bowlby believed one main attachment, usually to the mother ( monotropy ) forms during a critical period of 3 - 6 months & provides a secure base for exploration. This main attachment helps keep the infant close to a caregiver who offers protection. Infants are born with social releasers which elicit caregiving. This main attachment forms an internal working model which acts as a template for future relationships>