Bowlby's Theory of Attachment

• Attachment: the strong emotional connection between an infant and their main attachment figure.
• Evolutionary Perspective: Bowlby believed that the purpose of attachment behaviour between an infant and its mother was to protect the infant from predators and allow for the survival of the species. The attachment figure the infant bonds with is someone they believe will reliably and promptly come to their aid when required. The failure of an attachment figure to respond accordingly causes extreme stress and can be traumatizing to the infant.
• Monotropy: attachment with only one attachment figure. Bowlby theorised that children have a biological need to form a bond with one main attachment figure, this bond is more important than any other attachment figure.
• A critical period: a lifespan stage during which individuals are more sensitive to environmental influences and normal development relies on these particular life experiences occurring.
• A sensitive period: same as a critical period, but theorised later by Bowlby that an attachment can still be formed, although it takes longer, between children of up to five years of age.
• Maternal deprivation: refers to the consequences an individual experiences when they are separated from their mother as a child and an attachment is prevented from occurring. Effects: intellectual development may be delayed, and emotional development may be affected, specifically the ability to have empathy for others (affectionless psychopathy) and difficulties forming social relationships with others, such as intimate relationships in adulthood and adolescence.
• Internal working models: These are mental representations used to serve as a model for what relationships are like. They develop during the daily interactions with the mother, themselves, and others. Continually in use and have an impact on cognition, emotions and behaviour outside of the child's conscious awareness.
• Internal working models: They guide the way children respond to others and how they approach new relationships in the future. Children who experience accurate internal working models are better prepared to interact with others in wider society when they are older.
• Internal working model of others: by the age of five, children have learned about their caregivers and now have an internal working model of their likes, dislikes, and personality characteristics.
• Internal working model of the self: The child may create a positive internal working model where they believe they are worthy of love and comfort due to their caregivers being sensitive to their needs and providing comfort and protection with love. A negative internal working model may develop when caregivers have consistently rejected the child and ignored their needs. The child may believe they are unworthy of love and care.
• Internal working model of the relationship between self and others


  The child will base future relationships with other people on their first relationship with primary caregivers
• A child who experienced a loving relationship with the main attachment figure

  Will unconsciously expect future relationships to be similar and demonstrate the same qualities as the attachment figure such as respect and reliability
• A child whose main attachment figure was unreliable and insensitive to their needs


  Will likely expect people in their future relationships to treat them poorly, and they will treat them the same way in return