Bowlby's evolutionary theory (nature)

John Bowlby came up with the evoluntonary theory which a nature explanation of attachment. This is a good way of remembering the key facts about this theory:

Innate (instinctive)

Critical period

Adaptive (helps you survive)

Monotropy (one main attachment= mother)

Internal working model

Later

Development

• Bowlby believed that babies were born with insitinctive behaviours (crying and laughing) and when adults see these, different instinctive responses occur. These behaviours cause a baby and a adult to spend a lot of time together. these behaviours are called social releasers

• babies had to form an attachment within the first 18 months of their lives.
• If there is no attachment after 2 and a half years the child will never be able to form a strong emotional bond with another individual.

• Bowlby believed that attachment was adaptive because it helped you to survive.
• This is because a strong attachment to your mother helps you survuve because she is a  source of food, protection and shelter.

• bowlby believed that babies form only one strong attachment in their lives, this is to their mother.
• an infant becomes most attached to the person who responds in the most sensitive way.

• A baby's ideas and expectations of the world.
• they develop their opinions and ideas from there mother and often mirror their mothers behaviour.
• for example if the mother was stressed a lot, the baby may be influenced to and grow up to be stressed. or if the mother was sporty, then they baby may develop an interest in sport later on too.

• Your attachment continues how you develop throughout your life.
• for example a type b child is likely to become a social leader later on and they will have a high self esteem and will be able to get on well with other people.