bowblys monotropic theory

• continuity hypothesis is the idea that emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure, trusting and confident adults. but emotionally insecure infants will have emotionally insecure relationships in later life
• the critical period is a biologically determined period of time during which certain characteristics can develop. outside this time window such development will not be possible
• the internal working model is a mental model of the world which enables individuals to predict and control their environment. in the case of attachment the model relates to a persons expectations about relationships
• monotropy is the idea that the one relationship that the infant had with their primary attachment figure is of special significance in emotional development
• social releasers is social behaviours or characteristics such as smiling that elicitis caregiving and leads to an attachment being formed
• bowbly assumed a process similar to imprinting develops by lorenz operated in humans. in the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness, parents who are attached to their offspring provide care needed for survival, infants who are attached to their caregivers seek proximity ensuring they are well protected. those possessing this attachment trait are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on the trait to the next generation
• how attachments form 1 : the critical period for attachment is around 3- 6 months. bowbly argued who infants attach to is determined by sensitivity. the concept of caregiver sensitivity is an important feature of Mary Ainsworths work and research into caregiver infant interactions. infants who do not form an attachment during the critical period seem to have difficulty forming attachments in later life.
• how attachments form 2 : social releasers such as similing elicit caregiving responses ensuring an attachments develops between caregiver and infant. social releasers are innate mechanisms that explain how attachments to infants are formed (we are predisposed to find social releasers appealing)
• how attachments form 3 : monotropy is the primary attachment relationship. infants have one special emotional bond usually to the biological mother. secondary attachments also form providing the infant with an emotional saftey net which is important for healthy psychologists and social development
• the consquences of attachment 1 : the infant forms a mental representation known as a schema of their monotropic relationship, this is referred to as an internal working model. this model helps a true relationship to form as it gives the child insight into the caregivers behaviour and enables the child to influence the caregivers behaviour.
• the consquences of attachment 2 : the model provides as a template for all future relationships. the continuity hypothesis predicts strongly attached infants continue to be socially and emotionally competent as adults, whereas adults with insecure attachments in childhood have more social difficulties in adult life
• one limitation is bowblys idea of a critical period. according to bowbly, if children fail to make an attachment between 3 - 6 months, then it will not be possible for them to form attachments beyond this period. rutter et al shows that it appears less likely that attachments will form after this critical period but it is not impossible. researchers use the term sensitive period to reflect the developmental window where infants are more receptive to form a certain behaviour but these behaviours can still form outside this window
• another strength of bowblys theory comes from research supporting monotropy. Prior and Glaser concluded that the evidence still points to the hierarchical model as suggested by bowlbys concept of monotropy. it places emphasis on one central person higher than others is more likely than multiple attachments. this central person has special significance and contributes to healthy emotional development. this supports bowblys concept of monotropy as infants form one special attachment which plays a significant role in emotional development
• research has found that attachment may be adaptive. attachment may be less critical for survival. bowlby suggested that attachment occurs after 3 months, but this is quite late to act as a mechanism of protection. in the past, it would have been important for immediate attachments to form for survival. the age of attachment depends on the features of a species life. when infants begin crawling, attachment becomes vital and this is when attachments develop in humans. this supports the view that attachment is adaptive