bowlby's evolutionary (monotropic) theory

• what ideas are Bowlby's theory based on?

  imprinting
• what does his theory state

  -attachment is an innate & adaptive process for both parent & child

  -it evolved become it promotes survival
• what does attachment promote?

  survival
• Darwin's theory of evolution

  -any behaviour which increases successful reproduction makes it more likely for those genes to remain
• attachment promoting survival : short term survival

  -attachment results in a desire to maintain proximity, anxiety on separation & ensures safety

  -the theory suggests a role of social releasers (crying, smiling) to encourage a response

  -other humans are innately programmed to respond to these social releasers

  -ensures survival of infant
• attachment promoting survival : long term survival 


  -the attachment styles we learn as infants & young children become an internal working model for what we believe relationships should be like

  -provides us with template for how to behave in future relationships

  -makes having children more likely

  -ensures survival of genes
• monotropy hypothesis

  -infants have a hierarchy of attachments

  -central caregiver is at the top

  -primary attachment figure forms the basis of the internal working model

  -argued by Bowlby
• critical period


  -Bowlby argued that there was a critical period during which a child could form an attachment

  -up to 2.5 years

  -or the child would suffer long term damage