Bowlby's Theory

Bowlby's Theory

1. Key words

   • Social releasers-Infants are born with these. They elicit a response from the caregiver. They include smiling, crying, a baby's face ect...
   • A secure base-A safe person for them to go to if they're in a new place and the child can use their reaction to guide them when they're exploring.
   • Monotrophy-An inbuilt bias to form an initial attachment with one person, usually the mother.
   • Hierachy of Attachments-Attachments outside the main attachment such as siblings
   • Internal Working Model-Blueprint in a child's mind for how relationships should be.
   • Continuity Hypothesis-How the child is attached is how they will attach for the rest of their life.

2. A02

   • If we are to believe the evolutionary perspective then we should be able to see a clear link between our behaviours and those in other species. There are many studies that show attachment-like behaviour in animals 'lower down the evalutionary scale' such as the imprinting shown in brids.
   • The behaviours shown by Harlow's monkeys also show clear parallels to human attachment behaviour
   • We are animals too, it would seem very likely that we are subject to the same evolutionary pressures of adapting to survive and reproduce as are other animals, whether we are 'clever' animals or not.
   • Evolutionary theories are based on biology. Thus there should be little to no cultural variations in abilities or behaviours that are determined by evolution. Tronick et al (1992) studied the Efe tribe from Zaire. They have very different child-rearing habits than we do; babies are looked after and are even breastfed by many different women in the tribe.
     • Despite this however, at around 6 months the babie showed a greater attachment to their mothers than to other women.
   • Sroufe et al (2005) followed infants in Minnesota from infancy to adulthood and supports Bowlby's continuity hypothesis. They found that there were clear links between early attachment and later social/emotional behaviour. Those who had secure attachments in infancy were rated highest for social competence, were more popular, less isolated and more empathetic.
     • This was a longitudinal study so due to a high attrition rate which can cause the sample to become biased therefore the resuts cannot be generalised.
   • Bowlby underestimated the importance of other attachment figures in the child's life. The role of the father, for example, is now thought to be very important. With an 'actively' involved father it is more likely to lead to a better social adjustment in later life and lower levels of criminality in particular. Researchers have also suggested that sibling relationships may also qualify as 'attachment' relationships as they can have very intense emotions associated with them.
   • Zimmerman et al (2000) carried out a longitudinal study of 44 children in Germany. Their childhood attachment type was assessed between 12 and 18 months and their adult attachments were measured at 16 years using interviews. They also recorded major life events such as parental divorce that happened as the child was growing up. According to the continuity hypothesis the childhood attachment type should be the predictor of their later relationship successes or problems, but this was not found to be the case; the more important factor was the presence of the negative life events.
   • Schaffer and Emerson (1964) aimed to test whether infants first form an attachment to one person, usuall the mother. They got 60 infants and observed them every month during the first year and again at 18 months, the mothers were interviewed about the infant's responses to seperation. Nearly 1/3 of the infants had initial attachments to more than one person. At 18 months, only 13% of infants were attached to one person. Attachments were formed to people other than the mother and routine activities, such as feeding, did not seem to be relevent to the formation of attachment. This fails to provide support for Bowlby's idea of monotropism.
     • It was a longitudinal study which allows us to study attachment over a long period of time and suggests that social interaction is important for development to particular people.
   • There have been some sugestions that findings that tend to show some continuity in relationships from infancy to adulthood, may not be due to early attachment relationships, but due to the innate personality of the child/person. You are born with a certain temperament that makes you more or less likely to form and maintain close relationships. This temperament is fixed and permament and thus there will appear to be continuity between your childhood relationships and those you have as an adult. This is nothing to do with your parents and the attachment you had with them.

3. A01

   • Bowlby suggested that the period of 3-6 months was extremely important in the development of attachment. He suggested that this was the sensitive period of the child's life. This would be where the child would be most readyily able to form an attachment tp their primary caregiver and is currently 'evolutionary primed' to do so during this period.
   • Bowlby also suggested that there was also a critical period of up to 3 years old, during which an attachment has to be formed if it is to be formed at all.

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