Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Cards (12)

  • Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment
    - he rejected the learning theory as he thought it was too simplistic
    - proposed that attachment is an innate system that gives us a survival advantage —> evolutionary theory
  • How is attachment similar to imprinting?
    It evolved as a mechanism to keep young animals safe by ensuring they stay close to caregivers
  • Monotropic
    Children form an attachment to one caregiver
  • Who did Bowlby's believe we form the strongest attachment to?
    The person who spends most time with us
  • 2 principles put forward by Bowlby
    - law of continuity - the more constant and predictable childcare, the better quality of attachment
    - law of accumulated separation - the effects of every separation from the mother add up —> 'the safest dose is zero
  • Bowlby recognised that attachment was a ______ process
    Reciprocal
  • Critical period of attachment
    Occurs at around 6 months old - if an attachment isn't formed at this time, it will be much harder to form one later in life
  • Social releasers
    Innate, 'cute' behaviours such as gripping
  • Internal working model
    Mental representations that children form of their relationship with their primary attachment figure. It serves as a model for what relationships are like.
  • What does a child's internal working model affect?
    Their future relationships and abilities to be a parent themselves
  • 2 positive evaluations of Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment
    - offers support for internal working model: Bailey et al found that mothers with poor attachments in childhood are more likely to have poorly attached babies
    - supporting evidence for role of social releasers: Brazelton found that when primary attachment figures ignored their babies' social releasers, the baby would become distressed, eventually curling up and laying motionless
  • Negative evaluation of Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment
    Lacks validity: Schaffer and Emerson found that children form multiple attachments, and just because the first one is stronger, it doesn't mean the others aren't as good in quality