Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of attachment. (16marks)
Bowlby gave an evolutionary explanation of attachment that attachment is an innate system
that gives a survival advantage. Bowlby suggested that babies are born with innate cute
behaviours such as smiling, sucking, known as social releasers. The purpose of these social
releasers is to is to activate the adult attachment system and elicit caregiving and make the
adult feel love towards the baby. Bowlby recognised this attachment as reciprocal as both
baby and mother have an innate predisposition to become attached and social releasers
trigger that response in caregivers. The two types of social releasers are behavioural (crying)
and physical (big eyes) which make the mother want to care for their children.
Furthermore, according to Bowlby, babies have to form an attachment during the critical
period, which is around the age of 2 during the time they form a special attachment with
their mother or caregiver, known as a monotropic attachment. If attachment is not formed
during this period, he she will find it difficult to form one later and will be damaged for life
physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. Finally, Bowlby suggested that a child’s
monotropic attachment to a caregiver acts as a model for future relationships, and referred
to this as an internal working model, which is known as continuity hypothesis. If a child has a
strong attachment with their mother, they are likely to go on and have strong and healthy
adult relationship. However, a child whose relationship is poor will tend to form poor future
relationships. The internal working model may also affect the child’s later ability to be a
parent themselves.
A strength of Bowlby monotropic research comes from research by Lorenz. Lorenz found
that baby geese imprint onto the first moving object they see within a critical period (12-17
hours), which highlights that animals form attachments really quickly. This also suggests that
attachments are innate, as the baby geese are biologically pre-programmed to from
attachments. Therefore, this matter as it supports Bowlby monotropic theory in particular
the idea of a critical period, suggesting that animals form an attachment within a short
period of time for adaptive (survival) reasons, as following a moving object provides safety
from predators.
Another strength of Bowlby monotropic theory come from research by Hazan and Shaver.
Hazan and shavers investigated the idea of the internal working model through a
questionnaire known as the love quiz. They found a positive correlation between early
attachments types (e.g secure) and later love experiences. Children who were securely
attached in childhood went on to develop strong and healthy adult relationships. Therefore,
this matter as it supports Bowlby idea of an internal working model suggesting that our early
childhood experiences, through the monotropic relationship affect our later adult
relationships.
A limitation of Bowlby monotropic theory, is monotropy can be considered a social sensitive
idea. For example, like Erica Burman argue there is a big burden of responsibility on mothers
and they are blamed for anything that goes wrong in a child life. It also pushes mothers into
certain lifestyles choices like making the decision not to return to work when a child is born.
Therefore, this is a weakness to the theory as it is socially sensitive as key assumption
Bowlby gave an evolutionary explanation of attachment that attachment is an innate system
that gives a survival advantage. Bowlby suggested that babies are born with innate cute
behaviours such as smiling, sucking, known as social releasers. The purpose of these social
releasers is to is to activate the adult attachment system and elicit caregiving and make the
adult feel love towards the baby. Bowlby recognised this attachment as reciprocal as both
baby and mother have an innate predisposition to become attached and social releasers
trigger that response in caregivers. The two types of social releasers are behavioural (crying)
and physical (big eyes) which make the mother want to care for their children.
Furthermore, according to Bowlby, babies have to form an attachment during the critical
period, which is around the age of 2 during the time they form a special attachment with
their mother or caregiver, known as a monotropic attachment. If attachment is not formed
during this period, he she will find it difficult to form one later and will be damaged for life
physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. Finally, Bowlby suggested that a child’s
monotropic attachment to a caregiver acts as a model for future relationships, and referred
to this as an internal working model, which is known as continuity hypothesis. If a child has a
strong attachment with their mother, they are likely to go on and have strong and healthy
adult relationship. However, a child whose relationship is poor will tend to form poor future
relationships. The internal working model may also affect the child’s later ability to be a
parent themselves.
A strength of Bowlby monotropic research comes from research by Lorenz. Lorenz found
that baby geese imprint onto the first moving object they see within a critical period (12-17
hours), which highlights that animals form attachments really quickly. This also suggests that
attachments are innate, as the baby geese are biologically pre-programmed to from
attachments. Therefore, this matter as it supports Bowlby monotropic theory in particular
the idea of a critical period, suggesting that animals form an attachment within a short
period of time for adaptive (survival) reasons, as following a moving object provides safety
from predators.
Another strength of Bowlby monotropic theory come from research by Hazan and Shaver.
Hazan and shavers investigated the idea of the internal working model through a
questionnaire known as the love quiz. They found a positive correlation between early
attachments types (e.g secure) and later love experiences. Children who were securely
attached in childhood went on to develop strong and healthy adult relationships. Therefore,
this matter as it supports Bowlby idea of an internal working model suggesting that our early
childhood experiences, through the monotropic relationship affect our later adult
relationships.
A limitation of Bowlby monotropic theory, is monotropy can be considered a social sensitive
idea. For example, like Erica Burman argue there is a big burden of responsibility on mothers
and they are blamed for anything that goes wrong in a child life. It also pushes mothers into
certain lifestyles choices like making the decision not to return to work when a child is born.
Therefore, this is a weakness to the theory as it is socially sensitive as key assumption
