Bowlbys theory

• Why did bowlby reject learning theory?

  Proposed an evolutionary explanation after looking at Harlow and Lorenz
• what was bolwby’s evolutionary explanation?

  attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantage
• why did attachment and imprinting evolve?

  they ensured young animals stayed close to their caregivers and this protected them from hazards
• why is his theory monotropic?

  a childs attachment to one particular caregiver and this attachment is different and more important than others
• what is law of continuity?

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

  effects of every seperation from mother add up.

  safest dose is zero dose
• what are social releasers?

  innate behaviours produced by babies that encourage attention from adults and activate the adult attachment system
• what do both mothers and babies have?

  an innate urge to become attached and social releasers trigger that response in caregivers
• what is the critical period?

  the time within which an attachment must form if it is to form at all. 2 years when infants attachment system is active
• what is. the sensitive period?

  A child is maximally sensitive at the age of 2 but if an attachment is not formed at this time, the child will find it difficult to form one later
• what is the internal working model?

  a mental representation formed by a child on their relationship with primary caregiver
• what does the IWM affect?

  • nature of child’s future relationship
  • child’s later ability to be a parent
• why does IWM affect child’s later ability to be a parent?

  people tend to base their parenting behaviour in their own expeirences of being parented