Monotropic Theory

• The idea of internal working model is supported by research which found that mothers who reported poor attachments to their own parents were more likely to have children classified as poor according to observations.

  This suggests that patterns of attachment are passed down from one generation to another and so supports Bowlby's ideas that caregiving is an evolutionary behaviour. Therefore, the theory has high external validity and real life application which can be beneficial in providing deeper research into attachment and its patterns.
• However, there is conflicting evidence by Schaffer & Emmerson (1964) which found that a significant minority of babies appeared able to form multiple attachments at the same time.

  This questions the reliability of the theory since the idea of monotropy may not apply to all infants and therefore cannot be seen as universal.
• Ainsworth (1967) studied the Ganda tribe of Uganda and found that infants formed strong bonds with one primary caregiver even when cared for by multiple people, suggesting that Bowlby's idea of attachment being innate is universal.
• The idea of monotropy can be seen as putting more stress on mothers as a poor quality attachment can disadvantage a child in a range of ways later. This could push mothers towards particular lifestyle choices like not returning to work when a child is born.

  Therefore, the research could be considered as socially sensitive as it pressures mothers and undermines those who may want to prioritise their career.