explanations of attachment: bowlbys monotropic theory ao3

Question 1

strength of internal working model - research support

Answer 1

bailey et al 2007
tested the idea that patterns of attachment are passed on through generations due to the internal working model
measured the mothers attachment to their own primary attachment figure and also the attachment quality of the babies (through the strange situation and interviews)
they found mothers with poor attachments to their own primary attachment figure were more likely to have poorly attached babies so thus this supports the idea that mothers ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by their internal working model

Question 2

Mixed evidence for iwm

Answer 2

P: evidence of importance of iwm is very inconclusive
E: iwm suggests their is continuity between the security of an infants attached and that of its later relationships
E: however attachment research regarding iwm is inconclusive. Eg McCarthy provides evidence to support iwm - securely attached babies have best adult friendships and romantic relationships, insecure resistant had issues maintaining friendships and insecure avoidant struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships
On the other hand zimmerman assessed infants attachment types and adolescent attachment to parents and found very little relationship between them.
L: This is not what we would expect if the iwm plays the role that other research suggests in later relationships reducing its validity

Question 3

strength of iwm support for social releasers

Answer 3

there is clesr evidence that the innate cute behaviours shown by babies are desgined to elict interactions from caregivers
brazelton et al 1975 observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social relesers
the reseachers instructed primary attachment figures to ignore their babies social relersers
previosuly responsive babies became increasingly distressed and some curled up on the floor
this illustrates the role of social relesers in emotional dev and suggests that they are important in the process of attachment development

Question 4

strength of bowlbys monotropic theory from animal studies

Answer 4

lorenz
- attachment is innate not learnt, geese naturally formed an attachment with the first moving object seen
- critical period, imprinting hast to occur within a few hours of birh
harlow
- iwm, monkeys had difficulties attaching w surrogate mother so had a neg iwm. caused them to lack social skills, breeding ability, neglcted children w ho were often attacked

Question 5

Weakness - socially sensitive

Answer 5

A weakness of Bowlby’s monotropic theory is that it is socially sensitive. Feminists like Burman have criticised how the monotropic theory places a great burden of responsibility on mothers, setting them to take up the blame for any wrongdoings in the childs life. This is because the law of accumulated separation states that having long periods of separation from a primary attachment figure risks a poor attachment, and therefore a poor internal working model.
This limits this theory as it deters mothers from pursuing their work after childbirth to avoid these supposed negative outcomes.