Bowlby Monotropic

• LIMITATION:

  • not valid
  • Shaffer and Emerson found that many formed one attachment at first but a significant minority formed multiple at the same time
  • Athough its suggests that the first attachment has a strong influence on the baby's later development it may mean stronger not different in terms of the quality of there babies other attachments
  • For example family members provide the same quality ie emotional support
  • may incorrect in saying that the primary attachment figure has a unique quality and important
• STRENGTH:

  • Evidence supporting the role of social releasers
  • Cute baby behaviours are designed to elicit interaction from caregivers
  • Brazelton et al 1975 observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers
  • Researchers instructed the primary attachment figures to ignore babies social releasers
  • Babies became increasingly distressed and some eventually curled up and lay motionless

  illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development suggests that they are important in the process of attachment development
• STRENGTH

  • Support for the internal working model
  • Predicts patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next
  • Bailey et al 2007 assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their 1 year old babies
  • Measured mothers attachment to their own primary attachment figures ie their parents
  • Assessed attachment quality of the babies
  • Found mothers with poor attachment to their own primary attachment figures were more likely to have poorly attached babies

  Supports idea that mothers ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by their internal working models