Evaluation

• P - Limitation , concept of monotropy lacks validity

  Schaffer and Emerson found that other attachments are formed at the same time as the primary attachment which all provided the same qualities , emotional support , secure base

  D - However , Schaffer and Emerson also found that the first attachment was the most influential for later behaviour suggesting Bowlby was correct in his assumption that the first attachment is important
• P - Strength , evidence supporting social releasers

  Brazelton found that babies were designed to elicit social interaction

  Observed babies interactions with caregiver and then told caregiver to stop responding

  Baby was then massively distressed and stopped social releasers

  D - However , baby may just have been reacting to the difference in behaviour from the primary caregiver as this would not be a typical situation for them

  They were just reacting to the abnormal reaction from caregiver

  Study has lower internal validity due to multiple explanations of the babies behaviour
• P - Strength , evidence to support internal working model

  Heidi Bailey assessed attachment of 99 mothers and grandmothers alongside mothers and children

  Found that it was more likely for attachment for child and mother to be poor if the mother and grandmother attachment was poor

  D - However , Kornienko believe that genetic differences in anxiety and sociability may affect parenting explaining this correlation

  Bowlby may have overstated importance of internal working model as genetics is another viable explanation for the phenomenon
• P - Limitation , theory places too much emphasis on mothers

  Working mothers guilt , social sensitivity

  D - Furthermore , Grossman conducted research into the role of the father and found that the father plays a distinct role in attachment through playing with the child meaning that both mother and father involvement in important