AO3 - monotropic theory

• Bowlby’s theory is criticised as suffering from alpha bias as it overexaggerates the differences between men and women by suggesting that it is/should only be the mother who acts as the primary caregiver and that the father’s role is simply to provide for the family. This lacks temporal validity as in modern society men are expected to do a much more equal amount of the childcare compared to women. Bowlby’s theory also has negative implications for working mothers or those bringing up a child who is are not the child’s mother (i.e: grandparents, gay male couples ..etc).
• There are alternative explanations of attachment. Behaviourists claim that it is the environment, not biology, that creates attachment. The cupboard love learning theory suggests that attachment is based on patterns of reinforcement and the association of the mother with the food that she provides. Learning theory is well supported by numerous experiments.
• Research support from lorenz study with gosling eggs. The goose who hatched normally attached straight away to the mother, as the followed her around. The goose which were in the incubator had attatched to lorenz and even if the mother returned an attachment was still not formed. This suggests attachments ate pre-programmed biologically