bowlby's monotropic theory & influence of early attachments in future

bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment

Yargaux Mee

Start

Evolutionary Explanation

• infants are born with an innate tendency to form attachments to increase their chances of survival
• forming attachments is a biological process which includes innate social releasers that strenthen the bond as the caregiver has a biological tendency to respond to them

• Bowlby discovered a critical period in which the infant must form an attachment, if not then it would result in detrimental effects in the future
• monotropy = one special attachment is more important than the rest and provides infants with an internal working model (acts as a template for future relationship expectations)
• continuity hypothesis = the type of attachment an infant has with their caregiver will influence their later relationships in life

Evaluation Points

CRITICISMS

SUPPORT

Lorenz 1935: generalisability

Brazelton et al 1975: importance of responding to social releasers

Kagan 1984: temperament hypothesis

Bailey et al 2007: IWM

Schaffer & Emerson 1964: monotropy

practical application

economic implications

Lorenz 1935: innate tendecies to form attachments

critical period

the influence of early attachment

on childhood and adult relationships

Start

• suggests that our early childhood experiences strongly influence our adult relationships
• the relationship a child has with their primary caregiver provides them with views of being loveable or not and if people are trustworthy or not
• our IWM provides us with mental representations and expectations of all our future relationships
• childhood relationships: a child with a secure attachment style will be more confident and find it easy to make friends
• adult relationships: attacmhent type influences parenting style, continuity between early attachment styles and the quality of later adult romantic relationships

Bowlby's continuity hypothesis

+ info

Evaluation Points

CRITICISMS

SUPPORT

ethical implications with Myron-Wilson & Smith 1988 study

Myron-Wilson & Smith 1988: bullying (childhood relationships)

Zimmerman 2000: divorce

Hazan & Shaver 1987: 'love quiz' (adult relationships)

correlational research

Bailey et al 2007: continuity

Kagan 1984: temperament hypothesis

Minessota study (Sroufe et al) 2005: childhood relationships

Hazan & Shaver 1987: self-report technique

deterministic / reductionist