Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

• What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?

  Animals and humans have an innate tendency to form attachments. This is rooted in evolutionary theory.
• How are attachments adaptive?

  Attachments give our species an advantage as they make us more likely to survive as the infant is kept safe, given food, kept warm etc.
• Define social releasers

  Innate social behaviours or characteristics which elicit caregiving and leads to attachment.
• What are the two types of social releasers?

  Behavioural and physical
• Give two behavioural social releasers

  Crying and cooing
• What is a physical social releaser?

  Baby face features and body proportions
• What is the critical period in humans?

  Babies have to form an attachment within the first 2 years of their life otherwise their development will be damaged.
• What is monotropy?

  Infants form one very special emotional bond (the primary attachment relationship)
• What is the internal working model?

  A mental schema for relationships based on the attachment with our primary caregiver. All child’s future adult relationships will be based on this.
• What is the law of continuity?

  A high quality relationship with the primary caregiver in infancy will lead to higher quality childhood and adult relationships and vice versa for poorer quality relationships.