explanations of attachment - Bowlby’s theory

• what is Bowlby’s theory known as?

  Monotropic theory
• Bowlby said attachment is

  adaptive and innate - it is a behavioural system that has evolved because of its survival value
• who is the mono tropic relationship with?

  the mother (can just be a mother figure)
• what is the law of continuity?


  the more constant and predictable a child’s care the better quality of attachment
• what is the law of accumulated separation?

  the effect of every separation from the mother add up and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose
• the person who they form the monotropic attachment with acts as a what for the child to return to?

  a secure base
• what is a social releaser?

  A social releaser is a stimulus or behavior that elicits a specific social response from others.
• what are some examples of social releasers?


  smiling, crying, cooing etc
• social releasers are a ______

  reciprocal process - both the mother and baby have an innate predisposition to become attached
• what is the critical period for attachment?

  around 2 years
• what is the internal working model?

  a blueprint for future relationships
• what does the internal working model impact?

  how the child will parent
• what is this called?

  internal working model

  
• Schaffer and Emerson 1964 analysis

  lacks validity, although most formed one attachment, a significant proportion formed multiple attachments
• Brazleton et al 1975 -

  observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers
• Bailey et al. 2007

  assessed relationship of 99 mothers and their 1 year olds. Assessed attachment qualities in the babies and the quality of attachment of the mothers with their primary caregiver
• weakness - concept of monotropy lacks validity:

  • the relationship with the primary attachment figure may just be stronger than other attachments rather than different in quality like bowlby believed
  • other family members may develop attachments with the baby that have the same qualities
• strength - evidence supports the role of social releasers

  • Brazelton et al instructed primary attachment figures to ignore their babies’ social releasers
  • babies initially showed distress but eventually curled up and lay motionless
• strength - evidence supports the role of the internal working model

  • the internal working model predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next
  • bailey et al studied 99 mothers. those with poor attachment to their own parents were more likely to have one year olds who were poorly attached
• weakness - other influences on social development

  • a baby’s genetically influenced personality is important in the development of social behaviour - Bowlby overemphasised the importance of the internal working model in development
• weakness -

  bowlby underestimated the role of the father and saw it as purely economic. It is an outdated and sexist view