Bowlby's monotropic theory

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Which reasercher thought that survival was the main explenation of attachment?
Bowlby (1969)
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What was Bowlby's theory also inspired by?
Lorenz's study into geese imprinting and whether the same survival mechanism drove human attacment
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why is important for the infant to be attached?
so that they are cared for by their caregiver and survive to adulthood and improve the likelihood of reproduction
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why is important for the parent to be attached?
so they can carry on subsequent generations
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when is the critical period of attachment in human infants?
3 - 6 months
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What happens during the critical period?
Infants have an innate desire to become attached
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E1: while other animals such as monkeys cling to their mothrs fur immidietly after they are born, why do human infants only develop the critical period at 3 -6 months?
Because human mothers used to carry infants in their arms, meanuing attachment is vital when the infant starts crawling at 6 months: showing Bowlby's theory to be adaptive
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E2: is there any evidence to suggest that the critical period is more flexible?
Rutter et al concluded that attachment could form after the critical period but it was less likely
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E2: what do Rutter's conclusions on the critical period suggest?
It is a time window in which infants are more sensitive to forming attachments but attachment can take place outside of that window
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what did Bowlby (1969) propose as the determining factor of attachment?
responsiveness and cooperation - influenced by the work of Mary Ainsworth's strange situation
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what were the consequences of not forming an attachment after the critical peroiod?
it is harder to form relationships after 6 months
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They are innate mechanism such as smiling that encourage to attachment, what are they called?
Social releasers
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What is monotropy?
One special emotional bond - a primery attachment relationship, often the biological mother but not always
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are secondery relationships important?
Yes - as a safety net and are important for psychological and social develpopment
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E3: how different are the theories of multiple attachment and monotropy?
Not a lot Bowlby suggests that secondary attachments are important to psychological and social development but they act in a hierarchy stemming from the PAF
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E3: how is this supported by evidence?
Grossmann and Grossmann (1991) suggest fathers are key secondary attachment roles + Prior and Glaser (2006) suggest that a meta analysis still points to Bowlby's hierarchical model
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what does the infant develop in monotropic relationship?
an internal working model - 1 it gives the infant a short term perspective into what the caregiver is thinking and alows them to shape influence the caregiver's behaviour 2. it provides a template for future relationships
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What is the continuity hypothosis?
It proposes that individuals who are strongly attached at infancy will contuinue to be socially and emotionally competent throughout life
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by whom is the continuity hypothosis supported?
Sroufe (2005) conducted the Minnesota parent child study. This study followed children from infancy to late adolecence and found evidence of continuity between attachment and emotional competence
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How does sroufe (2005) support the continuation hypothosis?
he found that individuals who were securly attached at infancy were highest rated for social competence in later childhood. they were also less isolated, more popular and more empethetic
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E5: Bowlby (1969) beleived that the likly of forming a monotreopic relationship was mediated by the mother's responsivness. What is Kagan's (1984) alternative explination?
That the infant's temprement plays a role. If they have an 'easy' temprament they are more likly to form secure attachments than if they have a 'difficult' temprement
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E5: what evidience is there to support Kagan's (1984) explination?
Belsky and Rovine (1987) found that infants judged to be difficult (between 1 and 3 days old) went on to form less secure attachments. This is supported by spangler (1990) who found that mother's attentiveness was influnced by their baby's temprement
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Card 2

Front

What was Bowlby's theory also inspired by?

Back

Lorenz's study into geese imprinting and whether the same survival mechanism drove human attacment

Card 3

Front

why is important for the infant to be attached?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

why is important for the parent to be attached?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

when is the critical period of attachment in human infants?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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