bowlby's monotropic theory

Question 1

what is evolution

Answer 1

• the process whereby useful features are introduced into a species.
• Features are useful if they help the animal survive long enough to successfully reproduce.
• To survive and reproduce, animals need to be well adapted to their environment.
• For this reason, useful features are said to be adaptive

Question 2

what was Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Answer 2

• monotropy
• adaptive
• social releases
• critical period
• internal working model
• continuity hypothesis

Question 3

what is monotropy

Answer 3

• infants form one very special attachment with their mother.
• If the mother isn’t available, the infant could bond with another ever-present, adult, mother-substitute.

Question 4

what is adaptive

Answer 4

• they give our species an ‘adaptive advantage’, making us more likely to survive.
• This is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they are kept safe, given food, and kept warm.

Question 5

what are social releases

Answer 5

• Babies have social releasers, which ‘unlock’ the innate tendency of adults to care for them.
• These Social releasers are both: Physical: the typical ‘baby face’ features and body proportions, + Behavioural: e.g. crying, cooing

Question 6

what is the critical period

Answer 6

• Babies have to form an attachment with their caregiver during a critical period.
• 0-2yrs
• Bowlby said that if this didn’t happen, the child would be damaged for life – socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically

Question 7

what is the internal working model

Answer 7

• Through the monotropic attachment, the infant would form an internal working model.
• a special mental schema for relationships. –> All the child’s future adult relationships will be based on this + it also affects what kind of parent we will be in the future.
• The relationship you have with your mother will dictate how your future relationships are and the mother/parent you will become

Question 8

what is the continuity hypothesis

Answer 8

• relates to the IWM
• the idea that whatever attachment type we develop as an infant continues into adulthood
• There are 3 types:
• secure: created by a loving mum
• insecure resistant: created by an inconsistent mum → sometimes showing love other times showing none
• insecure avoidant: created by an cold mum

Question 9

what are the positive AO3 points for the monotropic theory

Answer 9

• implications
• Minnesota Longitudinal Study (IWM)
• Love Quiz (IWM)(Mon)
• Efe (Mon)
• Fox (Mon)

Question 10

expand on the +ve AO3 point: implications

Answer 10

• Key workers
• Hospital stay
• Maternity leave

Question 11

expand on the +ve AO3 point: Minnesota Longitudinal Study (IWM)

Answer 11

• study commenced in 1985, recruiting 267 first time mums (and their new born babies). → The babies are now 32
• They have been studied, observed and assessed in infancy on a monthly basis
• every 6-12 months in childhood,
• in their twenties every 2-4 years.
• Babies who had a positive IWM/secure attachment and a good relationship with the monotropic attachment figure were more popular, content, and confident in childhood.
• Research is now focusing on how the IWM is affecting their adult relationships at 32, and their experiences of parenthood.

Question 12

expand on the +ve AO3 point: Love Quiz (IWM)(Mon)

Answer 12

• Hazan and Shaver placed a “Love Quiz” in a local newspaper which sought information about respondent’s current and childhood attachment experiences.
• Those who had a negative IWM/resistant or avoidant attachment to primary attachment figure (monotropic attachment figure) were more likely to be divorced, and not to believe in love
• Those who had a positive IWM/secure attachment with were likely to be married and believe in ever-lasting love.
• Total support for the IWM and the effect of Monotropy.

Question 13

expand on the +ve AO3 point: Efe (Mon)

Answer 13

• In the Efe tribe of Congo, Efe women share the care of infants in the tribe and take turns to breast feed them, however the infants return to their natural mother at night and form a stable bond with the mother.

Question 14

expand on the +ve AO3 point: Fox (Mon)

Answer 14

• Fox studied attachment styles in an Israeli kibbutz.
• In a kibbutz infants are cared for by a kind of nurse (a metaplet) during the day while their mothers work, and they return to their mothers in the evenings.
• Despite the fact that the mothers were not the daily caregivers, the infants still formed strong emotional attachments with their mothers.

Question 15

what are the negative AO3 points for the monotropic theory

Answer 15

• Rutter (CP)
• Ethics are poor → what about dad, single parents, gay parents –> more pressure on mum

Question 16

expand on the -ve AO3 point: Rutter (CP)

Answer 16

• Rutter studied Romanian orphans who had been placed in orphanages with minimal adult contact.
• Bowlby’s theory argues that after 2 years of age the infants would not be able to form an attachment, however when older infants were adopted by US and UK families they did develop attachments (but they made slower progress than children adopted within the first year of life).
• This shows that the idea of a critical period should be modified to a sensitive period.