Bowlby Monotropic Theory

• What is the Monotropic theory?

  An evolutionary explanation of attachment
• What does the Monotropic theory suggest?

  Infants have an innate drive to form especially strong attachment to their mother (monotropy) and stay in close proximity.

  • Bowlby argues this drive is instinctual as forming a strong attachment is vital for an infants survival because their mothers provide food and security.
• How is monotropic relationship developed?

  Babies instinctively use signals called social releasers (CRYING, SMILING) that attract the caregiver's attention.
• What did Bowlby say about mother's in monotropy?

  Biologically programmed to instinctively find these behaviours cute or distressing
• What study did Bowlby's Monotropic theory based critical period on?

  Lorenz geese study
• What did Bowlby suggest was the critical period for humans?

  first 30 months
• What did Bowlby claim will happen if children do not form a strong monotropic attachment within the critical period?

  Permanent negative social, intellectual and emotional consequences.
• What was the critical period for Geese as found by Lorenz?

  32 hour
• What was model based of our early childhood experiences?

  Internal Working Model
• What is the Internal Working Model?

  A blueprint formed based on childhood experiences which guides us on how to conduct future relationships such as if people can be trusted or if relationships are loving.
• What does consistent care do to the monotropic attachment?

  Strengthens it.

  Attachments between infant and caregiver form stronger attachments.
• EVALUATION - STRENGTH

  Bowlby's work has been IMPACTFUL: REAL-LIFE APPLICATION

  • His ideas have been applied to early childcare.

  For example, immediate physcial contact between mother and their babies in the first few hours after birth is encouraged.

  • Social services work to investigate cases of infant neglect - they understand its long-term harm
• EVALUATION WEAKNESS

  ALPHA BIAS - GENDER BIAS

  It exaggerates the gender differences between men and women.

  Bowlby argued that the father's role is to provide for the famile and the mother's role is crucial.

  This is a reflection of societal norms in 1940 that is not correct not so makes the explanation lack temporal validity due to changes in society such as babies who have gay parents.
• EVALUATION - WEAKNESS/STRENGTH

  Bowlby's work is based on Lorenz's findings on the critical period in the geese.

  Bowlby argues that there is a similar critical period in humans.

  • APPLYING ANIMALS TO HUMANS?

  Later study into the Romanian Orphans suggest that unlike the geese the period is sensitive and not critical and is not as rigid as bowlby suggested and it can be recovered which counter's Bowlby's argument of permanent damage.