Bowlby's attachment theory (1969)

Bowlby's attachment theory (1969)

John Bowlby proposed that children deprived of such a relationship might suffer permanent long-term emotional maladjustment.

Attachment is adaptive and innate:

Bowlby's theory is an evolutionary theory because it is in his view that attachment is a behavioural system that has evolved because of it's survival value and its reproductive value. According to Bowlby, children have an innate drive to become attached to a caregiver as it has long-term benefits. 

Sensitive period:

Since attachment is innate, there is likely to be a limited window for its development i.e. a critical or sensitive period. Development of all biological systems takes place most rapidly and easily during a critical period but can still take place at other times (sensitive period). Bowlby applied the concept of a sensitive period to attachment. He suggested that the second quarter of the first year is when infants are most sensitive to the developments of attachment. 

Caregiving is adaptive:

The drive to provide caregiving is also innate because it is adaptive. Infants are born with certain characteristics called 'social releasers', which elicit caregiving. Attachment is the innate behavioural system in babies; caregiving is an innate response in adults. Both provide protection and thereby enhance survival. 

A secure base:

Attachment is important for protection, and thus acts as a secure base from which a child can explore the world and a safe haven to return to when threatened. Attachment fosters independence rather than dependence.

Monotropy and hierarchy:

Bowlby believe infants have a number of attachments yet one with special importance. This bias towards one individual, is called monotropy. Infants also have other secondary attachment figures that form a hierarchy of attachments. Bowlby believed an infant is most strongly attached to the person who responds most sensitively to the infant's social releasers; this person becomes the infant's primary attachment figure.

Internal working model:

Attachment starts as the relationship between a caregiver and infant. Gradually the infant develops a model about emotional relationships: Bowlby called this the 'internal working model'. This model is a cluster of concepts about relationships and what to expect from others. 

The continuity hypothesis:

The internal working model means there is consistency between social emotional experiences and later relationships. This leads to the continuity hypothesis - the view that there is a link between the early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour; individuals who are securely attached in infancy continue to be socially and emotionally competent, whereas insecurely attached children have more social and emotional difficulties later in childhood and adulthood.