Bowlby

Bowlby

1. 44 Thieves Study (1944)

2. Maternal Deprivation Study (1951)

3. Monotropic Theory (1958)

   • Description
     • evolutionary theory
       • attachment: innate- gives us a survival advantage
     • attachment between infant and PCG= important!
     • monotropy
       • placing a great emphasis on an attachment to one caregiver (PCG)
       • attachment to PCG= special + different
     • law of continuity
       • the more constant the care, the better quality the attachment
     • law of accumulated separation
       • effects of every separation add up!
     • critical period
       • infant most sensitive to attachment (0-2 yrs)
         • sensitive period- harder to form after 2 years, not impossible
     • social releasers
       • eg. smiling, gripping etc
         • activate adult attachment system- make them feel love towards the child
     • internal working model
       • menatl representation of the child's attachment to its PCG
         • brings this to all future relationships (eg. peers, romantic parteners, own child etc)
   • Evaluation
     • Negative
       • mixed evidence for monotropy
         • Schaffer+ Emerson found most babies attach to 1 person first, but a significant minority formed multiple attachments at the same time
         • contracts Bowlby's theory as it shows that the monotropic element was not particullary important for these babies that formed multiple attachments early
     • Positive
       • support for social releasers
         • Brazelton et al (1975) observed mothers+ babies+ their interaction- reported existence of interactional synchrony
           • tried to ignore babies' social releasers& baby was distressed& some curled up+ were motionless
         • supports idea about significance of social releasers in electing care giving
       • support for IWM
         • Bailey et al (2007)
           • mothers with poor attachment to own parents were more likely to have poorly attached 1 year olds
         • supports idea of an IWM as it is passed through families