Bowlby's Monotropic Theory

Question 1

AO1

Answer 1

Bowlby rejected learning theory as an explanation for attachment, and instead proposed an evolutionary theory - attachments between babies and caregivers form through the process of evolution meaning babies who formed strong attachments are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.
Bowlby stated that there is an innate tendency to form a single primary attachment to one particular caregiver - so it is monotropic.
Bowlby suggested that babies are born with a set of ‘cute’ behaviours such as gripping hands or smiling. He called these social releasers because their purpose is to encourage attention from adults, and make them feel love towards the baby, and hence build an attachment.
Bowlby proposed that there is a critical period of around 2 years where an attachment can form. If an attachment is not formed within this time, it never will be formed.
Internal working model - from their monotropic/primary attachment, a child will develop a mental model about how the relationship works, and this model will then form the basis of all other relationships that the child (and later adult) will form.
E.g. if child grows up with a warm/trusting relationship with primary caregiver, the child will grow up feeling loved and so will go on to develop trusting relationships as an adult. However, if primary caregiver is cold and rejecting, the child will develop a negative self image. They will see themselves as unlovable so experience unsatisfactory relationships later in life too.
The internal working model also affects the child’s later ability to be a parent themself, as people tend to base their parenting behaviour on their own experiences.

Question 2

AO3 - high temporal validity

Answer 2

Bowlby’s monotropic theory has high temporal validity as it remains the most complete theory of attachment ever devised and it has been extremely influential in the field of how we care for our children. The influence can still be seen today with social workers very keen not to disrupt the mother-child bond unless absolutely necessary. Therefore the theory has real life application as it is applied to how childcare works in real life.

Question 3

AO3 - social releasers

Answer 3

Bowlby asked mothers to ignore their babies’ social releasers. The babies became distressed, and some even curled up and became motionless. Therefore, social releasers are important and critical in forming attachments.

Question 4

AO3 - internal working model shared

Answer 4

The internal working model was investigated by a researcher who used 99 mothers with 1-year-olds. He found that the mother’s own childhood attachment and the attachment they developed with their baby were the same. Therefore provides evidence that the internal working model forms basis of all later relationships, including the relationship developed with one’s own child.

Question 5

AO3 - socially sensitive research

Answer 5

Monotropy is an example of socially sensitive research. Despite Bowlby not explicitly stating that the primary attachment must be to the mother, in most cases it is. This therefore puts pressure on working mothers to delay their return to work to ensure that their child develops a secure attachment. Additionally, it underestimates the role of the father by suggesting they cannot be the primary caregiver in which a baby forms an attachment to.