Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

• Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory of Attachment: Adaptive, Social Releasers, Critical Period, Monotropic, Internal Working Model, Continuity Hypothesis
• Attachment is adaptive as it has evolved through time so that babies have an innate set of social releasers
• There is a critical period of 6 months-2.5 years where attachment can take place
• Monotropic means that we have one special bond with the primary caregiver which acts as our internal working model for future relationships
• Continuity Hypothesis states that our relationship with our primary caregiver will have long-term consequences
• Law of Continuity states that the more constant and predictable a child's care, the better the quality of their attachment
• Law of Accumulated Separation states that the effects of every separation from the PCG add up so should be kept to 0
• Shaffer & Emerson's stages of attachment do not support Bowlby's concept of monotropy because stage 4 includes multiple attachments, where the first attachment may not have been unique
• Brazelton et.al (1975) found evidence to support Bowlby's concept of social releasers because he observed inteeractional synchrony between mothers and their babies, however when the mother did not respond the baby became motionless
• Bailey et.al (2007) found evidence to support Bowlby's concept of an Internal Working Model because mothers who reported poor attachment to their parents in interviews were more likely to have children classified as poorly attached from observations
• Adaptive characteristics provide a selective advantage as they aid survival, sexual reproduction etc.
• Phobias provide an advantage as they keep us safe