Attachment: Explanations for Attachment: Bowlby

Question 1

Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Answer 1

John Bowlby rejected learning theory. He was commissioned by the WHO to compose a report on maternal care and mental health, particularly focused on homeless children after WW2

Question 2

Monotropic theory:

Answer 2

 The idea that infants have an inbuilt tendency to make an initial attachment with one attachment figure (usually the mother).
 Influenced by Harlow’s research on monkeys & Lorenz’s goslings.
 Infants have an innate drive to survive and proximity to the mother is the best way to ensure that safety.

Question 3

Evolutionary basis of Monotropic Theory

Answer 3

security equals survival.

Question 4

Law of continuity:

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Law of Accumulated Separation:

Answer 5

The effects of every separation from the mother add up “and safest dose is therefore a zero dose.”

Question 6

Evaluation: Mixed evidence for Monotropy

Answer 6

Schaffer and Emerson (1964): significant minority of babies formed multiple attachments at the same time – some evidence against the theory.

Question 7

eval Social Releasers

Answer 7

Brazleton et al. (1975)
1. Observed interactional synchrony in mums and babies.
2. Experiment: mums ignored baby social releasers. Babies showed distress & responded by curling up and lying motionless
This supports Bowlby’s ideas about significance of infant social behaviour eliciting caregiving.

Question 8

Monotropic theory:

Critical period

Answer 8

6 months

Question 9

Sensitive period - monotrpobc theory

Answer 9

6 months to 2 years.

Question 10

Monotropic Theory: Internal Working Model

Answer 10

Internal Working Model:
A mental representation used to understand the world, self, and others, that acts as a template for future relationships based on an infant’s primary attachment. \

Bailey et al. (2007):
99 mothers & 1 year old babies on quality of attachment:
1. Standard interview about their (mums) attachment to their own mothers.
2. Observation of mothers interacting with babies.

Mothers who reported poor attachments to their mum had poor attachment with their kids in the observation.

Question 11

Bailey et al. (2007):

Answer 11

Bailey et al. (2007):
99 mothers & 1 year old babies on quality of attachment:
1. Standard interview about their (mums) attachment to their own mothers.
2. Observation of mothers interacting with babies.

Question 12

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory valid

Answer 12

• Lack of validity; Schaffer and Emerson (1964) argued that although most babies formed one primary attachment, a minority formed multiple. Furthermore, they argued that the primary attachment may be stronger and not differ in quality to others, hence why it influences behaviour.

Question 13

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory two ways

Answer 13

Schaffer and Emerson both supports and goes against the study).

Question 14

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory social

Answer 14

• Evidence to support social releasers: Brazelton et all (1975) instructed babies primary attachment to ignore babies when they displayed their social releaser behaviour and it showed signs of massive distress.

Question 15

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory support I

Answer 15

• Support for internal working model; Bailey et al. (2007) looked at how consistent attachment was across generations. Marinus van Ijzendoorn (1995) carried out a meta-analysis of the results of 18 similar studies covering 854 parents. Results supported that well-attached parents tended to have children with good attachments.

Question 16

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory fem

Answer 16

• Bowlby’s theory is sexist and socially sensitive as it puts lots of pressure on mothers as Burman points out.

Question 17

Evaluation of Monotropic Theory health

Answer 17

• Kornienko showed that there was a genetic component to anxiety and sociability, meaning that differences seen may not be due to parenting style and rather due to genetics.

Question 18

• Monotropic theory: summary

Answer 18

 The idea that infants have an inbuilt tendency to make an initial attachment with one attachment figure (usually the mother).
 Influenced by Harlow’s research on monkeys & Lorenz’s goslings.
 Infants have an innate drive to survive and proximity to the mother is the best way to ensure that safety.

Question 19

Internal Working Model: definition

Answer 19

A mental representation used to understand the world, self, and others, that acts as a template for future relationships based on an infant’s primary attachment.