Bowlby’s monotropic theory

What is the evolutionary explanation for attachment?

Lorenz and Harlow’s research shows that attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantage - attachment, like imprinting, evolved as a mechanism to keep young animals safe by ensuring they stay close to caregivers

What is monotropy?

A child’s attachment to one particular caregiver is different and more important than the other.

What two principles describe monotropy?

• Law of continuity

• Law of accumulated seperation

What is the law of continuity?

The more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better quality of attachment

What is the law of accumulated seperation?

The effects of every separation adds up and ‘the safest dose is therefore a zero dose’ (Bowlby’s 1975)

How does monotropy lack validity?

• Schaffer & Emerson (1964) found that most babies attached to one person at first, but a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time.

• The first attachment appears to have strong influence on later behaviour, but this doesn’t mean it is better in quality - other attachments can provide the same things.

• Bowlby may be incorrect to say that the primary attachment figure has a unique quality and importance.

What are social releasers?

Babies are born with a set of innate ‘cute’ behaviours that encourage adult attention and initiate attachment

What supporting evidence is there for social releasers?

• Brazelton et al. (1975) observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers.

• Researchers then instructed primary attachment figures to ignore the social releasers.

• Babies who were previously responsive became increasingly distressed, some motionless.

• Suggests role of social releasers is important in attachment development.

What is a sensitive period?

Critical period of 6 months to 2 years when the infant attachment system is active - if an attachment isn’t formed in this time, they will greatly struggle to form one later

What is the internal working period?

A child forms a mental representation of their relationship with their primary attachment figure - this serves as a model for what all relationships will look like.

What will a child’s internal working model look like if they had a loving primary attachment figure?

They will form the expectation that all relationships are as loving and reliable

What will a child’s internal working model look like if they had a poor relationship with their primary attachment figure?

They will form more poor relationships as they expect the same bad treatment from others

How does internal working model affect children’s abilities to parent later on?

They tend to base their parenting behaviour on how they were parented

What research support is there for internal working model?

• Bailey et al. (2007) assessed the attachment of 99 mothers with their babies.

• They assessed the quality of the babies’ attachment.

• They measured the mothers’ attachment with their own primary attachment figures.

• They found mothers with poor attachment to their parents were more likely to have poorly attached babies.

Why is internal working model not a significant factor?

• Some psychologists believe genetic difference in anxiety affect social behaviour in babies and adults.

• Kornienko (2016) believed these differences could affect parenting ability.

• Suggests other factors may be significant, and importance of internal working model is overstated.

What feminist concerns are there over Bowlby’s research?

• Laws of continuity and accumulated separation suggest mothers who work may negatively affect their child’s emotional development.

• Burman (1994) points out this belief sets up mothers to take the blame for anything that goes wrong for the child.

• It allows people to criticise mothers for returning back to work.

How is Bowlby’s theory feminist?

• Before Bowlby’s theories, people did not see mother’s role as important.

• Many custody disputes were settled in favour of the father because mothers views as not necessary.

• Also helps key workers in day care who build attachments with particular babies.