Bowlby's Theory

• Bowlby's Theory

  Bowlby rejected the Learning Theory as an explanation for attachment- instead looked at the work of Lorenz and Harlow for ideas, and proposed an evolutionary explanation: claiming that attachment is an innate system which provides a survival advantage. So attachment is like imprinting, evolved as a mechanism to ensure the young stay close to adult caregivers.
• Monotropy

  Bowlby placed great emphasis on the child's attachment to one caregiver. He believed that the child's attachment to this caregiver was different and more important than the others- calling this person the 'mother' but they do not need to be biologically related, or female.
• Monotropy Principles

  Bowlby believed that the more time spent with a mother-figure or PAF, the better:

  Law of Continuity- stated more constant and predictable a child's care, the better quality the attachment.

  Law of Accumulated Separation- the effects of every separation adds up and 'the safest dose is therefore a zero dose'.
• Social Releasers

  Suggested that babies are born with an innate set of 'cute' behaviours (cooing, smiling and gripping) that encourage attention from adults- these are social releasers. Their purpose is to activate the adult social interaction and make the adult attach to the baby. Bowlby recognised that attachment is reciprocal, claiming that both the PAF and baby are 'hard-wired' to become attached.
• Critical Period

  The interplay between baby and adult attachment gradually builds up the relationship, and this begins in early life. Bowlby proposed that there was a critical period of around 6 months- when the infant attachment system is still active. Though this was reviewed and described as a sensitive period- a child is maximally sensitive at 6 months, but this possibly extends to age 2, but if attachment isn't formed, it makes it harder to form an attachment later.
• Internal Working Model

  Proposed that a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with a PAF- serving as a template for what future relationships are like. A child whose first experiences were loving and reliable means that they will see this as normal, and bring these qualities into future relationships. It also affects parenting, as they tend to base their parenting behaviours on their own experiences.
• AO3- Validity of Monotropy Challenged

  Schaffer and Emerson found that although most babies do attach to one person at first, a significant majority formed multiple attachments at the same time. Additionally, although the first attachment does seem to have a strong influence on later behaviour, they may simply mean it is stronger, not different in quality- as other family members provide the same key qualities (emotional support and a safe base).
• AO3- Support for Social Releasers

  Brazelton et al observed babies trigger interactions with caregivers through releasing social releasers. Researchers then instructed PAFs to ignore SRs- babies which were previously responsive became increasingly distressed, and some then curled up and lay motionless. Illustrating the role of social releasers in emotional development, suggesting they are an important process in attachment development.
• AO3- Support for the Internal Working Model

  Bailey et al assessed attachment relationships with 99 mothers and their year-old babies, they also measured mothers' attachment to their own PAFs and compares this to the quality of assessment to their own babies. Finding mothers with poor attachments to their PAFs were likely to have poorly attached babies- supporting the idea that a mothers' ability to form an attachment to their baby is influenced by their IWM.
• AO3- Counterpoint to the IWM

  There are other important influences on social development. For example, some psychologists believe that genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affect social behaviour in both adults and babies. These differences can impact their parenting ability (Kornienko). Meaning Bowlby may have overstated the importance of IWM.
• AO3- Feminist Concerns

  Laws of Continuity and Accumulated Separation suggest that mothers who work may negatively affect their child's emotional development. Burman argues this belief sets up mothers to take the blame for everything which goes wrong in their child's future. It also helps to give people an excuse to restrict mothers' activities.
• AO3- Counterpoint to Feminist Concerns 


  On the other hand, prior to Bowlby's research, people didn't think that the role of the mother was important- many custody disputes were settled to the father; as mothers weren't regarded as necessary. His ideas then have real-world applications, such as key workers in care who can build an attachment to particular babies.