Explanations of attachment: Bowlby's theory

• Bowlby's monotropic theory

  Rejected learning theory explanation.

  Proposed evolutionary explanation- attachment was an innate system that gave a survival advantage. Imprinting and attachment evolved to ensure young animals stay close to caregiver to protect from hazards. (wild animals -> traffic/electricity)
• Bowlby's monotropic theory- Monotropy

  Bowlby's theory (1958, 1969) is described as monotropic as he placed great emphasis on child's attachment to one caregiver. The more time the baby spends with the 'mother' the better. Put forward 2 principles to clarify this:

  • Law of continuity- the more constant and predictable the child's care, the better quality of attachment
  • Law of accumulated separation- the effects of every separation from the mother add up 'and the safest is therefore a zero dose'
• Bowlby's monotropic theory- social releasers and the critical period

  Babies born with social releasers- set of innate 'cute' behaviours (smiling, cooing and gripping) that encourage attention from adults by activating their attachment system (i.e. love the baby). Attachment is a reciprocal process- both mother and baby have an innate predisposition to become attached.

  Interplay between infant and adult attachment system builds relationship. Critical (sensitive) period = 2 years. No attachment= difficult later on
• Bowlby's monotropic theory- internal working model

  A child forms a mental representation of the relationship with their primary caregiver. Serves as a model for what relationships are like. Powerful effect on future relationships. Loving relationship w/ reliable caregiver= expect and bring in these qualities to relationships. Poor treatment= poor relationship.

  Internal working model also affects child's later ability to parent. Base parenting behaviour on what they experienced.
• Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s monotropic theory- evaluation

  There is evidence that social releasers are intended to initiate social interaction and are important to the baby. Brazleton et al. (1975) observed mothers and babies during their interactions, reporting existence of interactional synchrony. Extended observation to experiment and instructed PCG to ignore babies’ signals (social releasers). Babies showed distress but then some responded by curling up and lying motionless. Strong response supports Bowlby’s ideas about sig of infant social behaviour in eliciting caregiver.
• Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s monotropic theory- evaluation 2

  Support for internal working models. Bailey et al. (2007) assessed 99 mothers w/ one-year-old babies on quality of attachment to own mothers using standard interview procedure and assessed attachment of babies to mother by observation. Found that mothers who reported poor attachment to their mother were more likely to have their children classifies ad poor. Supports Bowlby’s idea that an internal working model of attachment was being passed through families.
• Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s monotropic theory- evaluation 3

  Monotropy is a socially sensitive idea. Law of accumulated separation states that having substantial time apart from PCG risks a poor quality of attachment that will disadvantage the child in a range of ways later. Feminists like Burman (1994) have criticised this for placing a terrible burden of responsibility on mothers, setting them up to take the blame for anything that goes wrong in the child’s life and pushes them into particular lifestyle choices like not returning to work when a child is born.