explanations of attachment: bowlbys theory

Question 1

what did bowlby suggest

Answer 1

• 1988 looked at work of lorenz and harlow and proposed an evolutionary basis that attachment was innate to keep them safe

Question 2

what was Bowlby’s monotropy theory

Answer 2

• 1958,1969
• child attaches to one particular person
• doesn’t have to be the mum
• more time baby spent with this ‘mother-figure’ - or primary attachment figure, the better.

Question 3

what are the two principles of bowlbys monotropic theory

Answer 3

• the law of continuity: the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better quality the attachment is
• the law of accumulated separation: the effects of every separation from the mother add up ‘and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose’

Question 4

what are the role of social releases

Answer 4

• babies are born with an innate set of ‘cute’ behaviours like smiling, cooing and gripping that encourages attention from adults
• they activate adult social interaction and so make an adult attach to a baby
• bowl y recognised this attachment was a reciprocal process- both mother and baby are hard wired to become attached

Question 5

what is the critical period

Answer 5

• begins in early weeks of life
• critical period around 6 months when attachment system is active
• viewed more as sensitive period. Maximally sensitive at six months and this possibly extends up to age of two.
• if attachment is not formed at this time a child will find it much harder to form one later.

Question 6

what is the internal working model.

Answer 6

• a child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure. This is called an internal working model because it serves as a model for what relationships are like.
• a child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will form an expectation that all relationships are like that and will bring these qualities to future relationships.
• if it’s poor then later attachments will also be poor.
• IWM affects the child’s later ability to be a parent themselves. People tend to base their parenting behaviour on their own experiences of being patented. Explains why children from functioning families go on to form functioning families.

Question 7

why is validity of monotropy challenged (limitation)

Answer 7

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that although most babies did attach to one person at first, a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time
• although the first attachment does have a strong influence on later behaviour, this may simply mean that it is stronger, not necessarily different in quality from the child’s other attachments. Other attachments provide the same key qualities (emotional support, a safe base etc)
• bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to a child’s first attachment

Question 8

what is a strength support for social releases

Answer 8

• evidence supporting that cute baby behaviours elicit interactions from caregivers
• T. Brazelton et al. (1975) observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releases. Researchers then instructed babies primary caregiver to ignore babies social releases.
• Babies who were previously shown to be normally responsive became increasingly distressed and some eventually lay motionless
• suggests they are important in the process of attachment.

Question 9

why is support for internal working model a strength

Answer 9

• IWM predict patterns of atta meant will be passed from one generation to the next.
• Bailey et al. (2007) assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their one year old babies.
• researchers measured the mothers attachment to their own attachment figures (parents)
• researchers assessed quality of attachment in babies.
• found that mothers with poor attachment to their own primary attachment figures are more likely to have poorly attached babies.
• supports Bowlbys idea that mothers ability to form attachments to their babies is influenced by IWM which come from their own attachment processes.

Question 10

what are other important influences to attachment (limitation)

Answer 10

• genetic differences in anxiety and sociability affect social behaviour in babies and adults- could impact parenting ability (Kornienko 2016)
• bowlby may have overstated importance of IWM in social behaviour and parenting at the expense of other factors