Explanations of attachment: bowlby's theory

Monotropic

Indicates that one particular attchment is different from all others and of central importance to the child's development

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Monotropy

Bowlby believed that the child's attachment to one caregiver is different and more important than others. He also believed that the more time the baby spent with the primary attachment figure the better. He put forward two laws

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Law of continuity

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

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Law of accumulated seperation

The effects of every seperation from the mother add up 'and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose'

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Social releasers

Innate behaviours that encourage attention from adults and activate the adult attachment system

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The critical period

A child is maximally sensitive at the age of two, but if an attachment isn't formed within this time, a child will find it much harder to form one later

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Internal working model

A mental representation we all have of our attachment to our primary caregiver. They are important in affecting our future relationships because they carry our perception of what relationships are like

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Evaluation - mixed evidence for monotropy

Bowlby believed babies formed a primary attachment before multiple attachment. S + E found some formed primary and multiple at same time. Attachment to primary attachment figure is stronger, but not necessarily different in quality

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Evaluation - support for social releasers

Brazleton et al. reported existance of interactional synchrony and then asked primary attachment figures to ignore babies signals and babies responded through distress and curling up and lying motionless

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Evaluation - support for internal working models

Bailey et al. assessed 99 mothers with 1 year old babies on quality of attachment with mother using interview. Mothers who reported poor attachment to their own mothers were more likely to have children classified as poor

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Evaluation - monotropy is a socially sensitive idea

Feminists have pointed out that law of accumulated seperation places a burden on mothers, as they have to take the blame for anything that goes wrong in the child's life

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Explanations of attachment: bowlby's theory

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