Bowlbys Monotropic Theory

Question 1

how did bowlby explain attachment

Answer 1

he said attachment is an innate system tht gives a survival advantage. It ensures young animals are safe by sneuring they stay close

Question 2

why is it called monotropic theory

Answer 2

bowlby placed emphasis on the childs attachment to one caregiver

Question 3

what is a crtical period

Answer 3

the time within which an attachment must form

Question 4

what is the law of continuity

Answer 4

stated the more constant and predictable a childs care, the better qualoty of their attachment

Question 5

what is the law of accumulated seperation

Answer 5

stated the effects of every seperation from the mother adds up and the safest dose is zero

Question 6

what are social releasers

Answer 6

set of innate behaviours in babies like smiling and cooing that gain attention from adults

Question 7

what is the critical peiod according to bowlby

Answer 7

6 months but can extend to 2 years

Question 8

explain the internal working model

Answer 8

• a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure
• this serves as a model for what relationships are like

Question 9

explain the study that shows the internal working model predicts that patterns of attachment will be passed from one generation to the next

Answer 9

heidi bailey et al

• assessed attachment relationships in mothers and their one year old babies
• the researches measured the mothers attachment to their own primary attachment figures
• the found the mothers with poor attachment to their own primary figure were more likelt to have poor attached babies

Question 10

strength

evaluate bowlbys monotropic theory

internal working model

Answer 10

• P - supportinmg evidence for the internal working model
• Eg - bailey et al found that mothers who had poor attachment to their own primary caregiver were more likely to have infants who were insecurely attached
• Ex - this supports the idea that early attachment forms a template for future relationships, just as bowlby suggested
• L - this adds validity to the internal working model
• H - the study is correlational so cannot be sure poor attchment causes poor future relationships

Question 11

strength

evaluate bowlbys monotropic theory

critical period

Answer 11

• P - supporting evidence for the idea of a critcal period
• Eg - bowlbys 44 thieves study showed that children who experienced prolonged seperation in the firts two years were more likely to developm affectionless pyschopathy
• Ex - this suggets the idea that there is a biologically sensitive window in which an attachment must form to avoid long term consequences
• L - increases the credability of bowlbys theory
• H - however, some psychologists argue it is still possible to form attachments after this period