1. Attachment theory

2. Starter What is attachment? Who do you form attachments with?
Why do you form attachments?
- Role of father and mother
- Lorenz and Harlow

3. Aim
To have an understanding of what Bowlby’s theory of attachment is

4. How do you make effective notes
Copy down what is in red and has this next to it>>
If any information appears that you didn’t already know, take note of that too
Note taking is a really important skill to have in such a content heavy course, for exams and in university – they wont wait for you to finish copying down off the slide!

5. Attachment
“An enduring, two way, emotional tie to a specific other person”
Typically occurs between a parent and a child

6. What behaviours can you see when two people are attached?
Close proximity
Distress on separation
Joy on reunion
Person used as safe base to explore world

7. Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment
Bowlby was heavily influenced by these animal studies we know of
Lorenz (1935) young ducklings (Black mask, p111)
Harlow (1958) monkeys (Black mask, p110)

8. On whiteboards outline
What Harlow found?
What Lorenz found?

9. Why do we form attachments?

10. Bowlby thinks the same!
He suggests emotional bonds such as forming attachments helps us survive and reproduce

11. Attachments are thought to have an evolutionary function
What does evolutionary function mean?
It is not a conscious decision
It occurs through natural selection

12. Bowlby noted…
Natural selection to ensure that offspring stay close to the caregivers
Behave towards their caregiver in a certain way to ensure survival

13. Based on these animal studies, Bowlby rejected the learning theory
Bowlby theory
Based on these animal studies, Bowlby rejected the learning theory
Nurture
Nature
Learn from the environment
Born with innate instinct to form attachment

14. Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment
Humans are born helpless and dependent on the actions of a caregiver for food warmth shelter and safety, for the purpose of their well being
Monotropic means moving towards one

15. This means, behaviours which babies display which help survival are called adaptive behaviours
What are examples of this?

16. Adaptive behaviours…
Breathing: an infant will move their arms and legs when something covers their face to protect their oxygen intake.
Body temperature: infants can maintain their body temperatures by shivering and tucking their legs into their bodies to stay warm. To cool off, they will automatically push off blankets and decrease their movement.

17. Bowlby suggests…
Babies are born with the tendency to display specific innate behaviors to allow attachment = social releasers
This helps baby ensure proximity and contact with attachment figure

18. On whiteboards, outline what you think these behaviours may be
For example:
Crying – to attract parents attention
Looking, smiling and vocalizing – to maintain parents attention and interest
Following and clinging – to gain and maintain proximity to parent
This is a innate programming

19. These social releasers stimulate caregiving from the mother
When baby is ‘attached’ with mother, they are quiet… they have no need to cry or cling
These attachment behaviors are activated by any condition which appears to threaten the proximity with the attached figure
For example: when mother disappears from view

20. Bowlby ‘critical period’
What do we already know about the term critical period?

21. Bowlby ‘critical period’
Babies have to form an attachment with their caregiver during a critical period
This is between birth and 2½ years old.
Bowlby said that if a child doesn’t form an attachment during this time then the child would be damaged socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically

22. Who do we form attachments with?
Infants form a single special attachment with one primary attachment figure
This is usually the mother
But what do we know about this? Think of the lesson last week??

23. Remember monotropic means moving towards one
The special attachment with one primary attachment figure
Usually the mother
Top of hierarchy
Other attachments may develop in a hierarchy below this

24. Poor monotropic attachment
The attachments formed influenced infants internal working model of relationships
This means, the relationships formed in childhood will influence what future relationships may be as an older child and adult
Poor monotropic attachment

25. Key terms: A Snap Chat Makes Images Adaptive Social releasers
Can you think of a mnemonic?
Adaptive
Social releasers
Critical period
Monotropy
Internal working model A
Snap
Chat
Makes
Images

26. Handout 1

27. Plenary
The aim of todays lesson was to have an understanding of what Bowlby’s theory of attachment is
On whiteboards, summarise what Bowlby’s theory of attachment is