Attachment: Bowlby’s Theory AO3

Question 1

What is 1 strength and 1 limitation of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 1

1 strength:
- There is support for social releasers
1 limitation:
- There are mixed evidence causing conflict

Question 2

What is a support for social releasers?

Answer 2

Brazelton et al observed mothers and babies during their interactions, reporting existence of interactional synchrony.
- This led to an experiment where primary attachment figures would ignore their social releasers, which in turn made the baby distressed.

Question 3

LIMITATION: MIXED EVIDENCE
What other evidence might conflict with bowlby’s theory about forming to only on particular caregiver?

Answer 3

Schaffer & Emmerson’s study about attachment stages showed evidence a child may not form an attachment to only one particular caregiver