Bowlby

Bowlby

1. Warm intimate continuous relationship with mother or permanent care giver.

   • Infants are born with social releasers (characteristics) which stimulate care giving.
     • Crying, smiling and the cute baby face.
     • Care giving is the innate response in adults
       • The innate behavioural system in babies and the innate responses in adults protect and enhance survival.
   • Biased towards one individual this is called monotropy
   • Primary attachment figure
     • Provides main foundation for emotional development, self esteem and later relationships.
       • Secondary attachment figures are also important in emotional development ( other siblings, aunts uncles etc)
       • Offers model about emotional relationships.
         • Gives an idea of what to expect mothers to do.
         • Bowlby called this an internal working model.
         • Provides continuity hypothesis
           • The link between early attachment and later emotional behaviour.

2. Evolution Theory.

   • Infant who sticks closer to mother is more likely to survive and then reproduce.
     • Any trait related to that attachment will be naturally selected, which all happens unconciously
     • Children have a innate drive to become attached.
     • Provides a secure base from which a child can explore the world and be independent,

3. Limited window for attachment development.

   • Suggests that the sensitive period of attachment is at 3-6 months
     • After this attachment is harder to form