Bowlbys monotropic theory

• What is the acronym used to help remember Bowlby's monotropic theory?

  A Snap Chat Makes Images
• What are the five elements of Bowlby's monotropic theory?

  Adaptive, Social Releasers, Critical Period, Monotropy, Internal Working Model
• What did Bowlby mean when he said attachment is adaptive?

  Bowlby suggested that attachment to a caregiver have evolutionary functions (we adapted to have attachment to be well suited to our environment).
• Because attachment is adaptive, attachment will be what?


  Innate
• Why is attachment adaptive?

  If an infant has an attachment, they are kept safe, given food and kept warm by their caregiver.
• What are social releasers?

  Bowlby thought infants are genetically programmed to behave towards their mothers in ways that increased their survival chances
• What do social releasers do?

  They unlock an innate tendency in adults (in particular, mothers) to care for them
• Provide four examples of social releasers.

  Crying, Looking, smiling and vocalising, Following and clinging, Physical features such as big eyes
• Why do social releasers increase a babies survival chances?


  Unlock an innate tendency in adults (in particular, mothers) to care for them, the infant doesn't get forgotten
• What did Bowlby mean by a critical period?

  If a child does not form an attachment before the critical period attachment will not occur
• In his most recent research, Bowlby suggested the critical period was how long for humans?

  2.5 years
• Bowlby later suggested a what?

  Sensitive period
• How long is the sensitive period?

  Up to 5 years
• What is a sensitive period?

  It is still possible to form an attachment, but more difficult
• What did Bowlby mean by monotropy?

  Bowlby proposed that infants have an innate tendency to become attached to one adult
• Who will the attachment be to?

  The one who is most sensitive, usually the mother.
• What did Bowlby believe about the primary attachment?


  A primary attachment to one person will be different and more important than any attachments to other people
• What did Bowlby believe if the mother was not available?

  The infant can bond with another present adult, known as a mother substitute
• What is the internal working model?

  A template for future relationships based on the infant's primary attachment
• How does the internal working model work?


  The kind of relationship that a child has with their parent will influence what they will expect from relationships in later life
• Who conducted research on social releasers?

  Brazleton et al. (1975)
• What did Brazleton et al. (1975) do?


  Observed mothers and babies during their interactions
• What did Brazleton et al. (1975) find?

  When primary attachment ignored their social releasers, they responded in distress. Social releasers are designed to elicit caretaking
• What evidence supports the critical period?

  Lorenz and Harlow
• What was the critical period in Lorenz's study?

  2 days
• What was the critical period in Harlow's study?

  90 days
• What evidence contradicts monotropy?

  Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
• How does Schaffer and Emerson (1964) contradict monotropy?

  By the age of 40 weeks, almost 30% displayed multiple attachments
• Who conducted supporting evidence for the internal working model?

  Hazan and Shaver- they did the 'love quiz' in local american newspaper
• How does Hazan and Shaver support the internal working model?

  The prevalence of attachment styles was similar as found in infancy. They also found a + correlation between attachment type and love experiences.