Explanation : Bowlby's theory

• Bowlby's monotropic theory

  Bowlby's theory is described as monotropic beecause of the emphasis on the child's attachment to one caregiver. Bowlby believed that the more time a baby spent with this primary caregiver the better. There are two main reasons :

  1. Law of continuity - the more constant a child's care the better the quality of attachment.
  2. Law of accumulated separation - the effects of every separation add up. So 'the safest dose is zero dose'
• Attachment is innate

  Bowlby gave an evolutionary explanation that attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantage. Imprinting and attachment evolved as they ensure young animals stay close to their caregivers and this protects them from hazards.
• Social releasers

  Bowlby suggested that babies are born with a set of innate 'cute' behaviours like smiling and cooing which encourage attention from adults. The purpose of these social releasers is to active adult social interaction. Bowlby recognised that attachment is a reciprocal system.
• Critical period

  Bowlby proposed that there is a critical period of about two years when the infant attachment system is active. In fact, he viewed this as more of a sensitive period. A child is maximally sensitive at 6 months and this may extend up to the age of 2 years. If an attachment has not formed in this time, a child will find it much harder to form one later.
• Internal working model of relationships

  Bowlby argued that the child forms a mental representation of the relationship with their primary attachment figure. This internal working model serves as a template for what relationships are like. Therefore, a child whose first relationship involves poor treatment may expect such treatment from others. The internal working model may also affect the child's later ability to be a parent themselves.
• Evaluation

  One strength is evidence supporting the role of social releasers. Brazelton instructed primary caregivers to ignore babies social releasers. Babies initially showed dome distress, but eventually some curled up and lay motionless. This supports the idea that social releasers play an important role in attachment development.
• Evaluation

  One strength is supporting evidence for the internal working model. The idea of the internal working model predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next. Bailey studied 99 mothers. Those with poor attachment to their own parents were more likely to have one year olds who were poorly attached. This supports Bowlby's idea of the internal working model of attachment as it is being passed through families.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is feminist concerns. The law of continuity and accumulated separation imply that working mothers may damage their baby's development. However, Bowlby's theory did draw attention to a mother's importance and also had real world applications. This means that , although Bowlby's theory has had important applications, it may also have contributed to the oppression of women, particularly working mothers.