John Bowlby

• What was Bowlby‘s hypothesis?

  Bowlby hypothesised that mothers and infants had naturally evolved a biological need to be constantly in each others company. He believed that instinct caused attachment behaviours which can be triggered by situations that endanger attachment
• what’s an attachment behaviour?

  Attachment behaviours such as proximity seeking are jeaprodised when either being is not near the other. This activates insecurity and fear. it is also suggested that the trepidation of strangers displays a built-by-nature survival instinct
• what’s Bowlby’s concept of monotropy?


  Monotropy is the idea that a child will attach to one main parent/caregiving figure. In Bowlby‘s attachment theory, he believes this is due to innate behaviour and that there is one main attachment figure.
• what is the critical/sensitive period?


  the critical period is from 0-2 years but the sensitive period is up to 5 years, from 0-5. without the relationship between mother and child, bowlby initially believe affects such as DRIDA became permanent, leading to maternal deprivation
• what is DRIDA?

  D- Delinquency

  R- Reduced intelligence

  I- Increased aggression

  D- Depression

  A- Affectionless psychopathy
• What’s the internal working model?

  Its a cognitive model that provides a template for how relationships will be made in the future.
• What are three characteristics of the internal working model?

  1. The self as valuable
  2. others as trustworthy
  3. The self as affective when interacting with others
• what are some strengths of Bowlby‘s theory?

  using empirical evidence from the 44 thieves study, supports that a large factor in delinquency comes from prolonged separation from mothers in the early years of life. The other factors of DRIDA are also mentioned in the study, for example only 5 of the 30 thieves were not classified as affectionless psychopaths and experienced separations.
• what’s a limitation of Bowlby‘s theory?

  Bowlby has an outstanding gender bias with the idea that attachment is monotropic, especially to the mother as the main figure.
• List two ways a person applies to the internal working model in later life According to Bowlby.


  In future relationships, they will trust other people and the IWM determines how they will act with/parent their own child