Attachment

Definition: •An emotional bond between 2 people •2 way process that endures over time

•Serves the function of protecting the child

Explanations of Attachment

You need to know 2 explanations of attachment

Learning Theory

Attachment is learned

Bowlby’s Theory

Attachment is innate

Bowlby’s Theory

Babies have an ‘attachment gene’

An infant displays social releasers (such as

crying, smiling) which increase their chances

of receiving care - Ensuring the infant

stays close to caregiver for food and protection

Infants form attachments because it’s adaptive Adaptive

= good for survival

A01

Bowlby’s Theory ContD…

Parents also have an ‘attachment gene’

Which drives the parents to provide care

-this is also adaptive (increases chances of genes continuing to

the next generation)

Parents are driven to provide care for the infant while

they’re young and defenceless – the critical

period

Bowlby suggested that infants make one main attachment – called

monotropy

A01

Bowlby’s Theory – beyond infancy

The first relationship provides the

infant with an attachment

template

Internal working model

The attachment behaviours in the internal

working model continue to

follow the same template in the

future

Continuity hypothesis

A01

Bowlby’s Theory – key terms

There’re loads – make sure they’re in your Glossary

and that you KNOW them!

Social Releasers

Attachment Gene

Critical Period

Internal Working Model

Continuity Hypothesis

Monotropy

A01

Bowlby’s Theory – A02

Can you remember anything from Learning Theory A02 that you can

apply to Bowlby’s theory?

A02

Lorenz found that newly hatched goose (after seeing Lorenz shortly

after hatching) following him everywhere and he became their ‘imprinted

parent’

Hazen & Shaver Conducted the ‘love quiz’

which assessed adult romantic relationships and childhood relationships and found a strong correlation between the 2 attachment

types

Howes et al Found that parent-child relationships

were not necessarily the same as child-peer relationships

Post-hoc This means that the theory is based on assumptions made

‘after the fact’

Bowlby’sTheory – Evaluation Positive

Lorenz (1952) Lorenz found that newly

hatched goose (after seeing Lorenz shortly

after hatching) following him everywhere and he became their ‘imprinted

parent’

Why is that Positive

criticism?!

A02

Bowlby’sTheory – Evaluation Positive

Hazen & Shaver

Conducted the ‘love quiz’ which assessed adult romantic relationships and childhood relationships and found a strong correlation between the 2 attachment types

Why is that Positive

criticism?!

A02

Bowlby’s Theory – Evaluation Negative

Howes et al (1994)

Found that parent-child relationships were not

necessarily the same as child-peer relationships Why is that

negative criticism?!

A02

Bowlby’sTheory – Evaluation Negative

Post-hoc This means that the theory is based on

assumptions made ‘after the fact’

The theory looks

backwards and argues that specific behaviour is adaptive just because it

persists

Why is that Negative

criticism?!

A02

Key words In pairs write at least 15 key words

that link to the Evolutionary Theory of Attachment

Glossary • Evolutionary Theory – Attachment is innate

• Social Releasers

• Attachment Gene

• Critical Period

• Internal Working Model

• Continuity Hypothesis

• Monotropy

• Hazen & Shaver

• Howes et al

• Post-hoc

Exam style questions

Have a go at the following questions

1. What is meant by the term attachment? (2 marks)

2. Explain how the behavioural explanation of

attachment differs from the evolutionary explanation of attachment. (4 marks)

3. Explain two limitations of the evolutionary

perspective explanation of attachment. (2 marks + 2 marks)