Evaluation of Bowlby's theory

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  • Created by: z_mills1
  • Created on: 09-05-14 14:08
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  • Evaluation of Bowlby's theory
    • Weaknesses
      • Schaffer and Emerson's study of 60 infants from Glasgow
        • showed most infants formed first attachment with one person but nearly 1/3 formed multiple attachments - appeared to be no preferred attachment figure
          • undermines Bowlby's theory of monotropy
      • Kagan - the temperament hypothesis
        • Kagan suggested attachment could be explained in terms of innate temperamental types
          • infants who have an 'easy' temperament are more likely to become securely attached
          • infants who have a 'difficult' temperament are more likely to be insecurely attached
    • Strengths
      • Konrad Lorenz (study of geese)
        • he separated two groups of goslings, one left with their mother, the other group were kept in the incubator
          • when the eggs in the incubator hatched the first living thing they saw was Lorenz and so they started to follow him
            • shows that bond formation between adult and infant is innate
      • Hodges and Tizard (longitudinal study of children in institutional care)
        • children who had formed no attachments in the early parts of their lives had difficulty forming relationships with peers
          • supports Bowlby's theory of the critical period

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