Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s theory

• Bowlby believed that the quality of early attachments is crucial to an individual's development, as it shapes their future relationships.
• He argued that securely attached children are more likely to form healthy adult relationships than those who have experienced neglect or abuse during childhood.
• The first six months are critical for forming secure attachments with primary caregivers, which can have long-lasting effects on emotional wellbeing and social skills.
• Securely attached children tend to be more confident, independent, trusting, and socially competent than those who experience disrupted or unstable attachments.
• Learning theory


  An explanation for attachment rejected by Bowlby. Instead he looked at Lorenz and Harlow for ideas and proposed an evolu explanation- that attachment was an innate system that gives a survival advantage.
• Attachment


  An innate system that gives a survival advantage, evolved as a mechanism to keep young animals safe by ensuring they stay close to adult caregivers
• Monotropy


  Bowlby's theory that a child's attachment to one particular caregiver is different and more important than others
• Primary attachment figure


  Bowlby believed the 'mother' or caregiver that the child attaches to, which need not be the biological mother or a woman
• Law of continuity


  The more constant and predictable a child's care, the better the quality of their attachment
• Law of accumulated separation


  The effects of every separation from the mother add up, and the safest dose is a zero dose
• Social releasers


  Bowlby suggested that babies are born with ‘Innate’ cute behaviours like smiling, cooing and gripping that encourage attention from adults and activate adult social interaction and attachment
• Critical period


  Around six months when the infant attachment system is active, and a child is maximally sensitive to forming an attachment
• Internal working model


  proposed that children form a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure, which serves as a model for future relationships
• A child's first experience of a loving, reliable relationship with a reliable caregiver


  They will tend to form an expectation that all relationships are as loving and reliable, and bring these qualities to future relationships
• A child's first experience of poor treatment

  They will tend to form further poor relationships in which they expect such treatment from others and/or treat others in that way
• People's experiences of being parented

  They tend to base their own parenting behaviour on
• Sensitive period


  A child is maximally sensitive at six months and this possibly extends up to the age of two. sensitive period. If an attachment is not formed in this time, a child will find it much harder to form one later.