Term
Bowlby's Theory of Attachment
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Definition
*Human infants and their caregivers have INHERITED mechanisms that enable them to attach to each other.
*These have evolved through natural selection. |
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Term
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Definition
Bowlby's theory of attachment has a number of parts, it can be broken down into:
A: Adaptive
S: Social Releasers
C: Critical Period
M: Monotropy
I: Internal Working Model |
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Term
"Attachments are ADAPTIVE"
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Definition
They give our species an 'adaptive advantage' making us more likely to survive.
This is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they are kept safe, given food and kept warm. |
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Term
"Babies have SOCIAL RELEASERS"
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Definition
These social releasers unlock the innate tendency of adults to care for them.
These social releasers are both:
-Physical -'baby face' features and body proportions
-Behavioural- crying, laughing. |
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Term
"CRITICAL PERIOD"
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Definition
Babies have to form an attachment with their caregiver during a critical period.
Between 7 months and 2 1/2 years old.
Bowlby said if this didn't happen, or if the attachment was broken before 3 years of age, the child would be damaged for life- socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. |
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Term
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Definition
Bowlby believed that infants have an innate tendency to form an attachment to one key person- usually the mother. This special, intense attachment is called Monotropy.
If mother is not present, the infant could bond with a mother substitute. |
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Term
"INTERNAL WORKING MODEL"
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Definition
Through the monotropy attachment, the infant would form an internal working model. This is a special model or template for other attachments.
All the child's future relationships will be based on the relationship with the mother. |
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Term
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Definition
| "A warm continuous relationship with the mother or permanant mother substitute is essential for healthy attachment to occur, as it gives individuals a 'working model' about how relationships function" |
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Term
How does Schaffer and Emerson's study challenge Bowlby's idea of Monotropy?
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Definition
| Monotrophy suggests that the baby's first and most special attachment was the primary caregiver. Schaffer & Emerson did a study on 60 Glasgow babies and found that babies made multiple attachments and also that the first attachment wasn't always the mother like Bowlby implied as a third of babies were strongly attached to their father. |
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Term
How does a study by Zimmerman et al challenge Bowlby's theory of a continuity hypothesis?
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Definition
Zimmerman carried out a longitudinal study on 44 children in Germany to see how children aged 12-18 months responded to strangers and seperation. These children were reassessed at 16 years old and Zimmerman recorded major life events (divorce, deaths). He found that childhood attachment type was not a good predictor of attachments in adolesense.
Challenges Bowlby as it suggests the continuity hypothesis is only valid when serious life events do not have an impact on the child. |
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Term
How does Hazen and Schaffer support Bowlby's theory of the internal working model and the continuity hypothesis?
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Definition
Produced a 'Love Quiz' for people to complete where they wrote about experiences on relationships and their childhood relationships with their parents.
Found that there was a strong link between childhood attachment type and adult attachment type.
This study supports Bowlby as it links to the internal working model and the continuity hypothesis.
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Term
How does Harlow and Harlow's study support Bowlby's theory of Monotropy?
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Definition
| Separated infant monkeys from their mothers. Raised by dummy mothers. One of the dummy mothers fed them, the other was made of fabric therefore was able to comfort them. The monkeys spent a lot more time with the comforting mother than the feeding mother. Supports Bowlby's idea of monotropy and how it is extremely important to form that one special attachment. |
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