Explanation - Evolutionary/Monotropic

• What did Bowlby reject as an explanation for attachment?

  Learning theory
• What was Bowlby's proposed explanation for attachment?

  An innate system providing survival advantage
• Why did Bowlby believe attachment evolved?

  To ensure infants stay close to caregivers
• What acronym summarizes Bowlby's theory?

  ASCMI
• What does each letter in the acronym ASCMI stand for?

  • A: Adaptive
  • S: Social releasers
  • C: Critical period
  • M: Monotropy
• What are social releasers according to Bowlby?

  Innate behaviors that attract caregiver attention
• What is the critical period for attachment formation?

  Up to 2.5 to 3 years old
• What happens if an attachment is not formed during the critical period?

  Social, emotional, intellectual, and physical stunting
• What did Bowlby demonstrate in his 44 juvenile thieves study?

  Maternal deprivation linked to affectionless psychopathy
• What does monotropy mean in Bowlby's theory?

  One special intense attachment is formed
• What are the two principles Bowlby put forward regarding attachment?

  The law of continuity and the law of accumulated separation
• What does the law of continuity state?

  Consistent care improves attachment quality
• What does the law of accumulated separation state?

  Every separation from the mother adds up
• What is the internal working model in Bowlby's theory?

  A mental representation of relationships
• How does the internal working model affect future relationships?

  Shapes expectations based on early experiences
• What did Bailey et al. (2007) find regarding internal working models?

  Patterns of attachment are passed through generations
• What is temperament in child development?

  Genetically influenced personality traits
• How do temperament researchers view Bowlby's emphasis on attachment?

  They believe he over-emphasized early experiences
• How does Bowlby's theory contrast with learning theory?

  • Bowlby rejects learning theory for attachment
  • Learning theory emphasizes food as crucial
  • Bowlby focuses on innate systems for survival
• What did Dollard and Miller emphasize in their learning theory?

  Food is important for attachment formation